IOUISE  KLEIN  MILLER 


LIBRARY 

OF   THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 
Class 


CHILDREN'S   GARDENS 


CHILDREN'S  GARDENS 


FOR  SCHOOL  AND   HOME 


A  MANUAL  OF  COOPERATIVE  GARDENING 


BY 


LOUISE   KLEIN   MILLER 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW   YORK 

D.    APPLETON    AND   COMPANY 
1904 


COPYRIGHT,  1904,  BY 
D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


TO 
MY   MOTHER,    ANN    MILLER 

WHO  FOR  NINETY  YEARS  LOVED  FLOWERS 
FED  THE  BIRDS,  WAS  KIND  TO  ANIMALS,  THIS 
VOLUME  IS  MOST  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED 


S27 


PREFACE 

COOPEKATIVE  gardening  is  one  of  the  newer 
movements  for  the  education  of  the  young  and 
for  the  elevation  of  neglected  and  unfortunate 
classes ;  yet  it  has  already  become  an  important 
factor  in  the  school  and  home  life  of  many  places 
under  the  auspices  of  school  authorities,  civic 
leagues,  improvement  associations,  women's 
clubs,  settlement  houses,  libraries  and  other 
bodies. 

This  movement  has  two  motives — the  trans- 
forming of  barren,  dreary,  ill-kept  school 
grounds  and  other  uncared-for  public  places  into 
bowers  of  beauty  and  good  taste,  and  develop- 
ing in  children  love  of  Nature,  appreciation  of 
her  beauties  and  ability  to  enhance  for  their  own 
enjoyment  and  the  public  good  the  aesthetic  effect 
of  their  immediate  surroundings. 

This  book  has  been  written  especially  in  the 
interest  of  children's  gardens,  but  it  contains 
much  that  may  prove  of  value  to  all  who  care  for 
this  noble  art.  It  is  believed  that  it  will  be  espe- 
cially valuable  in  showing  what  can  be  accom- 
plished by  a  slight  expenditure  of  time,  money 

vii 


PREFACE 

and  energy,  with  a  display  of  good  taste,  toward 
turning  the  waste  places  of  the  earth  into  spots 
of  beauty  and  wholesome  influence. 

The  author  writes  in  the  full  confidence  that 
her  many  years  of  experience,  both  within  and 
without  the  schoolroom,  as  teacher,  Supervisor  of 
Nature  Study,  Director  of  a  School  of  Horticul- 
ture and  Landscape  Gardening  for  Women,  and 
Supervisor  of  Children's  Gardens  have  qualified 
her  to  be  of  assistance  to  those  who  are  desirous 
of  making  gardens,  but  who  may  not  have  had 
the  technical  training  necessary  to  secure  the 
best  results  with  the  least  effort. 

The  author  desires  to  express  her  apprecia- 
tion of  assistance  and  courtesy  extended  to  her 
by  Dr.  William  T.  Harris,  United  States  Com- 
missioner of  Education,  for  data  of  the  history 
of  school  gardens  in  Europe;  Mr.  William  P. 
Rich,  Secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  Horticul- 
tural Society,  for  reports  on  the  school-garden 
movement  in  the  United  States  and  West  Indies ; 
Mr.  A.  H.  Mackay,  Superintendent  of  Education, 
Halifax,  for  information  regarding  the  progress 
of  work  in  Nova  Scotia  and  Canada ;  Miss  Mary 
L.  Gardner,  for  description  of  the  Kamehameha 
School  in  Honolulu;  Prof.  Alfred  R.  Rehder, 
of  the  Arnold  Arboretum,  Boston,  for  photo- 
graphs of  trees  and  shrubs. 

She  is  indebted  to  Dr.  James  H.  Canfield, 
viii 


PREFACE 

Librarian  of  Columbia  University  Library,  for 
the  courtesies  of  the  library ;  Dr.  D.  T.  MacDou- 
gal,  Director  of  the  Laboratories  of  the  New 
York  Botanical  Gardens,  Bronx  Park,  for  privi- 
leges of  the  museum  and  conservatories;  Sie- 
brecht  &  Sons,  New  York,  for  valuable  sugges- 
tions on  window-gardening;  Dr.  Sylvester  D. 
Judd,  Biological  Survey  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture,  for  permission  to 
quote  copiously  from  his  report  on  Food  of  Nes- 
tling Birds;  Prof.  John  G.  Jack,  of  the  Ar- 
nold Arboretum,  for  valuable  suggestions,  and 
characteristics  of  trees  and  shrubs;  Miss  Amy 
Schiissler,  head  teacher  of  Speyer  School,  New 
York,  for  practical  suggestions. 

The  author  desires  especially  to  acknowledge 
her  indebtedness  to  the  following  books  of  refer- 
ence: Sargent's,  The  Silva  of  North  America; 
Bailey's  Cyclopedia  of  American  Horticulture; 
Gray's  Manual  of  Botany;  Harriet  L.  Keeler's 
Our  Native  Trees  and  Our  Native  Shrubs;  the 
magazine,  Garden  and  Forest;  reports  of  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture;  and 
King's  Soil. 

The  thanks  of  the  author  are  extended  to  the 
following  for  use  of  photographs  for  purposes 
of  illustration :  Board  of  Education,  New  York, 
for  A  Roof  Playground,  Public  School  153, 
Bronx,  and  two  views  of  the  Children's  School- 

ix 


PEEFACE 

Farm,  DeWitt  Clinton  Park;  Agricultural  Ex- 
periment Station  of  the  University  of  Minnesota, 
for  cuts  of  grafting,  cuttings  and  seed  testing; 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Rafter,  for  illustrations  of  Chil- 
dren's Home  Gardening,  and  an  experiment  gar- 
den, Washington,  D.  C. ;  Peter  Henderson  &  Co., 
New  York,  for  privilege  of  photographing  tools ; 
Mr.  John  H.  Patterson  for  views  and  data  of  the 
National  Cash  Register  garden;  Miss  Elizabeth 
Seward  Hill,  for  photographs  and  assistance  in 
the  Boys'  Garden,  Groton,  Mass.;  Mr.  J.  Bolt- 
man,  New  York,  for  the  photograph  of  A  Socio- 
logical Problem. 

The  author  is  indebted  to  Mr.  E.  W.  Haines, 
President  of  the  Home  Gardening  Association 
of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  for  photographs  and  reports 
of  work  done  in  Cleveland;  to  Park  and  Ceme- 
tery for  privilege  of  reprinting  the  chapter, 
"Improvement  of  School  Grounds." 

LOUISE  KLEIN  MILLER. 
NEW  YORK,  1904. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  SCHOOL  GARDENS  A  FACTOR  IN  EDUCATION       1 

II.  SCHOOL  GARDENS  IN  EUROPE        .        .        .12 

III.  SCHOOL  GARDENS  IN  AMERICA       .        .        .16 

IV.  IMPROVEMENT  OF  SCHOOL  GROUNDS      .         .    47 
V.    BOYS'  GARDEN .56 

VI.  PLAN  OF  A  GARDEN       .....    65 

VII.  HEDGES          .      '.        .        .        .        .        .72 

VIII.  PLANTING  NEAR  A  BUILDING    .    .    .76 

IX.  THE  FORMAL  GARDEN  .    .    .   .    .  82 

X.  HERBACEOUS  BORDER  .       ,   .    .88 

XI.  GARDEN  OF  WILD  FLOWERS  .   „    .    .96 

XII.  THE  VEGETABLE  GARDEN   .    ...    .98 

XIII.  WINDOW-GARDENING 101 

XIV.  ROOF-GARDENING  .        .        .        .        .        .109 

XV.  SOME  PROBLEMS  IN  GARDENING     .        .        .113 

XVI.  SCHOOL  GARDENS  AND  GEOGRAPHY        .        .116 

XVII.    NATIVE  SHRUBS 120 

XVIII.  NATIVE  TREES       .•       .        .        .        .        .  130 

XIX.    PRUNING  OF  SHRUBS 145 

xi 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XX.  PROPAGATION      .     \  * • .      .        .  .  .  148 

XXI.  GRAFTING  AND  BUDDING    .        ,  .  157 

XXII.  SOIL    .        .        .        .        .  -     .  .  .  161 

XXIII.  FERTILIZERS        .        .        ..    .   ,  .  .  168 

XXIV.  INSECTS      .        .        .        .        .  .  .176 

XXV.  SOME  TREE  PESTS      .        .  .':     .  .  .  180 

XXVI.  SOME  COMMON  GARDEN  PESTS  .  .  .  185 

XXVII.  BIRDS  IN  RELATION  TO  HORTICULTURE  .  192 

XXVIII.  TOOLS .203 

APPENDICES 

I.  SHRUBS  FOR  THE  ARBORETUM    .  .  .  205 

II.  TREES  FOR  THE  ARBORETUM      .  .  .218 

III.  FLOWERS  FOR  THE  WILD  GARDEN  .  .  223 

IV.  NATIVE  FERNS   .        ...  .  .227 

V.  BULBS  FOR  FALL  PLANTING       .  .  .  228 

INDEX  .  229 


xn 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTKATIONS 


PAGE 

Willard  School  Flower-Show,  Cleveland,  Ohio          Frontispiece 
Ignorant  of  Nature :  A  Sociological  Problem  ....        3 
Rhododendron:  Garden  Hybrid       .        ....        .        .        6 

Azalea  vaseyi :  Azalea .        .        7 

Viburnum  dilatatum         .        .        .        ...        .        .        9 

An  Experiment  Garden 17 

Paving  Removed  for  a  Garden         ...        .        .        .        .20 

Window-Boxes ..        .      25 

Test  Garden,  Cleveland,  Ohio   .        .        .        .        .  .      26 

Facsimile  of  Ordering  Envelope .33 

Workers  in  the  Boys'  Garden,  National  Cash  Register,  Day- 
ton, Ohio 34 

Boys'  Garden,  National  Cash  Register,  Dayton,  Ohio  .  .  35 
Children's  School-Farm,  September,  1902  .  ...  .38 
Children's  School-Farm,  October,  1902  ,  .  .  .39 

School  Garden,  Porto  Rico       .        .        ."•       .        .        .        .      43 

Kamehameha  School,  Honolulu 45 

Individual  Planting i        .        .        .      48 

Planting  in  Masses »        .49 

Amelanchier  botryapium :  Shadbush 51 

Rosa  setigera:  Climbing  Rose 53 

Good  Gardeners 57 

A  Home  Garden  in  May 68 

The  Same  Garden  in  August .69 

Cydonia  japonica :  Japan  Quince 74 

Andromeda  floribunda :  Andromeda  ...      77 


LIST    OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Daphne  cneorum :  Daphne       . 78 

An  Arbor .-    .     :   .        .        ...  79 

Diagram  of  the  Formal  Garden       .        .  . .    ...      .        .        .  83 

Clematis  paniculata :  Clematis         .        .       •..'•'      *        .  89 
"  A  Garden-Line  is  a  Necessity "      .        .        .        .        .        .100 

Window-Gardens 103 

Roof -Garden  and  Pergola         .        .       .        ....  110 

Boys'  Roof-Playground Ill 

California  Privet  Hedge    .        .       .      Y      ,        .        .     ,  .  114 

Viburnum  tomentosum  plicatum 122 

Cornus  florida :  Flowering  Dogwood 124 

Cercis  canadensis :  Redbud 126 

Cladrastis  lutea:  Yellowwood  . 132 

Acer  saccharum  :  Hard  Maple 134 

Betula  papyrifera :  White  Birch 138 

Betulanigra:  Red  Birch.     -.'-...        .        .        .        .139 

Nyssa  sylvatica :  Sour-Gum      .        ...        .        .        .  141 

Pyrus  floribunda :  Chinese  Flowering  Crab     ....  142 

Salisburia  adiantifolia :  Gingko       .        .        .        .        .        .  144 

Germinating  Pan      .        .        .        .      ' »        .        .        .        .  152 

Cuttings     .       V       .        .        .        i 154 

Whip-Grafting 159 

Garden  Tools                                                                              .  203 


xiv 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 


CHAPTER   I 

SCHOOL    GARDENS    A   FACTOR   IN    EDUCATION 

A  FARMER  in  New  England  being  remon- 
strated with  because  he  had  placed  a  barn  in 
such  a  position  as  to  obscure  a  magnificent  view, 
indignantly  replied,  "  That  barn  was  built  be- 
fore the  view  was  discovered." 

Many  features  of  our  educational  systems, 
rigid,  angular,  unattractive,  and  not  educative, 
have  been  so  set  before  the  eyes  and  minds  of 
children  that  they  have  effectually  obscured  the 
beauty  and  holiness  of  God's  truth.  Fortu- 
nately, at  last  the  view  has  been  discovered,  and 
old  systems  are  gradually  falling  to  decay  or 
are  being  broken  down  by  those  who  believe 
that  education  is  life  instead  of  a  preparation 
for  living. 

Manual  training,  domestic  science,  art,  and 
music  have  broadened  the  vision,  have  given 
dexterity  and  skill,  have  implanted  ideas  of 

2  1 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

better  home  conditions,  and  have  created  appre- 
ciation of  the  beautiful  in  art  and  a  love  of 
harmony.  Nature  study  has  opened  the  minds 
and  hearts  of  children  to  the  beauties  and  won- 
ders of  creation  and  has  exerted  an  uplifting 
mental,  moral,  and  spiritual  influence.  It  has 
been  the  forerunner  of  a  movement  of  deep 
significance  and  broad  scope. 

School  Gardens. — This  is  not  a  new  phase 
of  education,  but  an  old  one  gaining  the  recog- 
nition and  support  its  importance  merits.  The 
gardens  of  Europe  are  far  in  advance  of  ours 
in  comprehensiveness  and  efficiency,  but  condi- 
tions there  differ  greatly  from  those  in  this 
country.  We  have  our  own  problems  to  solve, 
numerous  and  varied. 

Many  progressive  persons,  realizing  the 
benefits  and  importance  of  this  movement,  have 
risen  to  the  situation  with  Western  push  and  en- 
thusiasm, and  children's  gardens  may  be  found 
in  all  sections  of  this  country.  It  has  not  been 
deemed  expedient  or  feasible  to  incorporate 
them  in  the  regular  curriculum  of  school  work, 
but  these  gardens  are  now  being  carried  on  un- 
der the  auspices  of  a  few  schools,  civic  leagues, 
village  improvement  associations,  factories,  set- 
tlement houses,  and  various  other  agencies. 

The  theory  and  practise  of  school  gardens 
seek  to  reach  and  help  two  classes  of  children — 

2 


A    FACTOR    IN    EDUCATION 

those  who  live  in  the  city  and  have  little  oppor- 
tunity of  coming  in  contact  with  the  things  of 
the  country,  which  are  in  consequence  entirely 
unknown  to  them,  and  those  who,  while  living 
in  rural  and  village  districts,  are  often  ignorant 


Ignorant  of  Nature:  A  Sociological  Problem. 

of  the  processes  of  nature  with  which  they  come 
in  daily  contact. 

The  first  problem  has  a  sociological  and 
economic  significance ;  it  teaches  children  to  be- 
come producers  as  well  as  consumers,  and  has 
a  tendency  to  turn  the  tide  of  population  toward 

3 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

the  country,  thus  relieving  the  congested  con- 
ditions of  the  city.  Interest  in  growing  things 
must  first  be  created,  or  the  country  will  have 
no  attraction.  Without  school  gardens,  chil- 
dren of  the  city  are  deprived  of  that  which 
every  one  needs,  contact  with  the  soil. 

A  clergyman  in  one  of  the  slum  districts  of 
New  York  City  said  his  congregation  was  con- 
stantly changing,  that  as  soon  as  the  people 
learned  a  better  way  of  living  they  moved  to  the 
suburbs,  where  they  could  have  a  little  plot  of 
ground.  The  late  Mrs.  Alice  Freeman  Palmer 
was  instrumental  in  securing  a  place  in  the 
country  for  a  poor  woman  and  her  large  fam- 
ily of  children.  She  was  well  settled,  but  in  a 
short  time  she  moved  back,  bag  and  baggage, 
giving  as  her  reason,  "I  likes  peoples  better' n 
stumps ! " 

The  prosperity  of  our  country  is  largely  de- 
pendent upon  the  success  or  the  failure  of  our 
agricultural  and  horticultural  products.  In  or- 
der to  succeed,  a  farmer  must  work  along  inten- 
sive and  scientific  lines.  If  the  children  of  our 
village  and  rural  schools  are  to  become  the 
farmers  and  fruit-growers  of  the  future,  is  it 
not  important  that  they  should  have  some 
knowledge  of  the  things  with  which  they  come 
in  daily  contact,  and  upon  which  their  future 
success  depends?  Such  education  will  have  a 

4 


A    FACTOR    IN    EDUCATION 

tendency  to  make  children  better  satisfied  with 
country  life,  and  to  induce  them  to  stay  on  the 
farm  in  peace  and  contentment  instead  of  drift- 
ing to  the  city. 

Gardening  is  essentially  practical.  There  is 
nothing  better  fitted  for  the  healthful  develop- 
ment of  children.  It  affords  opportunity  for 
spontaneous  activity  in  the  open  air,  and  possi- 
bilities for  acquiring  a  fund  of  interesting  and 
related  information;  it  engenders  habits  of 
thrift  and  economy;  develops  individual  re- 
sponsibility, and  respect  for  the  rights  of  others ; 
requires  regularity,  punctuality,  and  constancy 
of  purpose. 

Planning  the  Work. — The  question  of  space 
is  a  serious  one.  A  plot  of  ground  two  by  four 
feet,  or  three  by  six  feet,  is  not  calculated  to  sat- 
isfy the  ambition  of  an  ordinary  child,  but  it  is 
better  than  nothing.  Each  school  should  be  sup- 
plied with  space  for  a  lawn,  a  wild  garden,  a 
small  formal  garden,  a  nursery  of  trees  and 
shrubs,  a  vegetable  garden,  and  a  small  glass- 
house, besides  the  playground.  When  ample 
provision  for  these  has  been  made,  and  the  prac- 
tical work  is  under  the  direction  of  a  trained 
supervisor,  it  can  be  properly  systematized  and 
graded,  stated  periods  of  the  school-time  being 
set  apart  for  regular  work  in  the  garden. 

Planting  the  seeds  in  the  vegetable  garden 
5 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

and  watching  them  develop  would  afford  the 
primary  children  the  greatest  pleasure  and 
profit. 

The  collecting  instinct  being  strong  in  chil- 
dren of  the  third  and  fourth  grades,  the  making 


Rhododendron:   Garden  Hybrid. 

of  the  wild  garden  will  be  profitable  to  them. 
As  far  as  possible  the  flora  of  the  region  should 
be  represented  by  a  specimen  of  each  variety, 
arranged  in  systematic  order.  When  the  plants 
multiply,  the  children  can  start  their  own  wild 
gardens  instead  of  taking  plants  from  their 
native  haunts,  from  which  some  of  the  rare 
species  are  rapidly  disappearing. 

Children  of  the  fifth  and  sixth  grades  are 
more  practical  in  their  interests,  and  like  to  see 

6 


UNIVERSITY 


A    FACTOR    IN    EDUCA 


results,  hence  the  making  of  the  formal  garden 
may  well  be  intrusted  to  their  care.  This  will 
afford  an  opportunity  for  studying  the  habits 
of  growth  of  annuals,  biennials,  and  perennials, 
for  the  arrangement  of  plants  so  as  to  produce 
a  succession  of  blooming;  for  harmonious  ef- 
fects in  texture  of  foliage  and  flower  coloring ; 
for  the  division  of  plants  and  their  propagation 
by  cuttings  for  repotting  and  other  practical 
work  in  the  greenhouse. 

The  work  of  the  primary  grades  and  lower 
grammar   grades    affords   the   children   a  fine 


Azalea  vaseyi:  Azalea. 

opportunity  for  observation  and  experience. 
Knowledge  gained  in  this  way  is  the  basis  for 
generalization  and  classification. 

7 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

The  Nursery.-r-  The  nursery,  containing 
specimens  of  the  most  common  native  trees  and 
shrubs,  arranged  according  to  a  systematic 
'classification,  could  be  well  managed  by  the  stu- 
dents of  the  senior  grades.  Lessons  in  propa- 
gation by  cuttings,  top  grafting,  root  grafting, 
budding,  transplanting,  would  enable  them  to 
improve  and  increase  their  stock.  As  soon  as 
the  trees  and  shrubs  are  ready  to  be  removed 
from  the  nursery,  the  students  should  have 
charge  of  their  culture  and  distribution,  of  the 
replanting  of  seeds,  and  of  the  making  of  hard- 
wood cuttings  for  the  greenhouse.  The  improve- 
ment and  care  of  school  grounds  should  come 
under  their  direction.  Instruction  should  in- 
clude making  and  caring  for  lawns,  setting  of 
hedges,  planting  of  shrub  borders,  transplant- 
ing and  trimming  of  trees  and  shrubs. 

Children  should  be  taught  to  appreciate  the 
beauty  of  common  things.  How  few  persons 
realize  the  decorative  possibilities  of  our  native 
Viburnums,  Cornels,  Azaleas,  Kalmias  and 
Rhododendrons,  and  the  many  other  attractive 
native  shrubs.  After  the  trees  and  shrubs  have 
served  their  purpose  in  the  nursery,  they  could 
be  transplanted  by  the  children  to  their  homes. 
With  what  pleasure  they  would  care  for  a 
young  Oak,  Maple  or  Viburnum  they  had  seen 
developing  in  the  nursery.  The  influence  of 

8 


A    FACTOR    IN    EDUCATION 

this  work  would  undoubtedly  be  felt  in  every 
home.     It  is  unnecessary  to  say  that  only  the 


Viburnum  dilatatum. 


very  best  seeds,  bulbs,  shrubs  and  trees  should 
be  used  in  all  this  work. 

9 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

To  be  a  successful,  intelligent  gardener  is 
not  easy;  it  requires  a  knowledge  of  many 
things,  not  the  least  important  of  which  is  the 
study  of  the  soil.  Simple  lessons  on  the  origin, 
the  physical  and  chemical  properties  of  soils 
and  their  relation  to  the  needs  of  different 
plants,  can  easily  be  comprehended  by  the 
children. 

Injurious  insects  are  a  serious  menace  to 
plants.  As  millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  agri- 
cultural products  are  annually  destroyed  by 
them,  a  knowledge  of  their  life  histories,  of  the 
most  vulnerable  stage  of  their  development,  of 
their  manner  of  feeding,  and  of  the  best  means 
of  combating  them,  is  most  important.  A 
knowledge  of  the  food  habits  of  nestling  and 
adult  birds,  and  their  relation  to  keeping  insects 
in  check  is  of  great  economic  significance. 

A  student  following  the  plan  indicated,  giv- 
ing to  it  an  hour  a  week,  would  leave  school  at 
the  end  of  the  course  with  a  fund  of  informa- 
tion and  experience  immediately  available  for 
practical  uses,  or  with  a  broad  foundation  for 
any  course  in  biology  he  might  elect. 

The  practical  side  of  this  movement  has 
been  emphasized  because  that  is  the  test  which 
is  dominant  in  the  minds  of  most  people.  The 
interest  and  delight  which  are  brought  into 
the  lives  of  little  children  through  such  an  in- 
•  10 


A    FACTOR   IN    EDUCATION 

timate  association  with  nature  can  be  realized 
only  by  those  who  have  worked  with  children. 

The  story  of  the  life  histories  of  birds,  in- 
sects and  plants  is  an  introduction  to  some  of 
the  most  marvelous  phases  of  creation,  and 
gives  a  realizing  sense  of  the  wonder  and 
sacredness  of  life  whose  influence  can  not  be 
estimated. 


11 


CHAPTER   II 

SCHOOL   GAEDENS   IN    EUROPE 

THE  study  of  gardening  originated  many 
years  before  Christ,  when  the  great  Persian 
King,  Cyrus,  laid  out  gardens  in  which  the  sons 
of  noblemen  were  instructed  in  horticulture. 
Very  little  is  known  of  the  progress  of  this  sci- 
ence for  more  than  two  thousand  years.  Dur- 
ing the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
botanical  gardens  were  established  by  the  Italian 
University  and  in  almost  every  important  city 
in  Italy.  Educators  soon  realized  their  impor- 
tance, and  Comenius  declared,  "  A  school  garden 
should  be  connected  with  every  school  where 
children  can  have  opportunities  for  leisurely 
gazing  upon  trees,  flowers,  and  herbs,  and  are 
taught  to  enjoy  them." 

About  a  hundred  years  later,  Rousseau,  in 
his  Emile,  emphasized  the  importance  of  school 
gardens  as  a  factor  in  education.  Basedow  in- 
cluded school  gardens  among  educational  agen- 
cies. Campe  with  his  wards  planted  ten  thou- 
sand trees.  Salzmann  wrote,  "  School  gardens 
have  been  laid  out,  neither  to  draw  the  attention 
of  passers-by,  nor  to  give  great  returns,  but  to 

12 


SCHOOL   GARDENS   IN   EUROPE 

instruct."  Pestalozzi  taught  his  wards  in  field 
and  garden  and  said,  "  I  wish  to  make  my  estate 
the  central  point  of  my  agricultural  and  educa- 
tional efforts.  The  orphans  are  to  be  kept  and 
to  be  instructed  at  work  and  through  work." 
Froebel  advanced  the  school-garden  idea  and 
established  gardens  in  the  larger  German  cities 
of  his  time. 

There  was  little  permanence  in  the  spas- 
modic efforts  of  individuals,  but  when  the  Aus- 
trian Imperial  School  Law  of  March  14,  1869, 
decreed  that,  "Where  practicable,  a  garden  and 
a  place  for  agricultural  experiments  shall  be 
established  at  every  rural  school,"  there  was  a 
new  impetus  given  to  the  movement,  and  it  is 
now  conceded  that  the  agricultural  and  horti- 
cultural progress  of  Europe  is  largely  due  to 
the  efficiency  of  the  school  gardens. 

The  Agricultural  Society  of  Switzerland  en- 
courages and  gives  financial  support  to  the 
establishment  of  such  gardens.  Since  the  reor- 
ganization and  improvement  of  the  school  sys- 
tems of  France,  a  law  of  March  18,  1882,  "  out- 
lines a  course  of  study  for  primary  schools 
that  places  the  first  instruction  in  horticulture 
and  agriculture  in  the  school  gardens  in  the 
middle  grades,  where  pupils  acquire  a  knowl- 
edge of  soil,  fertilization  and  field  work."  In 
the  higher  grades  they  learn  farming,  agricul- 

13 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

ture,  bookkeeping  and  horticulture.  The  in- 
struction not  only  includes  theory,  but  practise 
work  in  the  garden.  Another  important  decree 
of  December  11,  1887,  declares  that  "  No  plan 
of  a  school-budding  in  the  country  to  which  the 
State  contributes  shall  be  accepted  unless  a  gar- 
den be  attached." 

In  Belgium  horticulture  is  compulsory.  All 
public  elementary  schools  have  gardens,  which 
must  contain  at  least  thirty-nine  and  one-half 
square  rods,  and  the  teacher  must  be  qualified 
to  give  theoretical  and  practical  instruction  in 
vegetable  culture. 

The  garden  movement  is  not  regulated  by 
law  in  England.  The  theoretical  and  practical 
work  is  generally  under  the  direction  of  the 
agricultural  schools.  Sweden  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  an  interest  in  school  gardens.  They 
are  required  by  law,  and  there  are  about  five 
thousand.  In  Norway  and  Sweden  the  manual 
training  has  become  so  important  in  the  systems 
of  education  that  gardening  is  somewhat  on 
the  decline.  Owing  to  the  severity  of  the  cli- 
mate the  school  gardens  of  Russia  are  confined 
to  the  southern  part  of  the  country.  They  in- 
clude the  raising  of  grain,  vegetables,  fruit, 
kitchen-truck,  grapes,  mulberry-leaves  for  sup- 
porting silkworms,  fruit-trees,  and  the  cultiva- 
tion of  bees. 

14 


SCHOOL    GARDENS    IN    EUROPE 

In  Germany  the  school-garden  movement  is 
not  regulated  by  law,  but  is  encouraged,  and 
some  of  the  most  successful  gardens  may  be 
found  within  her  borders.  Austria-Hungary 
alone  has  eighteen  thousand  sch%)l  gardens,  of 
which  the  province  of  Styria  has  eight  hundred 
—not  a  school  without  a  garden. 

When  the  importance  of  school  gardens  as 
a  factor  in  the  training  of  children  is  consid- 
ered, and  their  efficiency  has  been  so  thoroughly 
demonstrated  by  European  countries,  it  seems 
almost  incredible  that  their  establishment  in 
the  United  States  should  have  been  so  long  de- 
layed. They  are  nowhere  among  us  regulated 
by  law  and  with  very  few  exceptions  are  not 
incorporated  in  the  regular  school  work.  How- 
ever, the  influence  on  the  moral,  intellectual  and 
physical  natures  of  children  is  so  apparent  that 
it  is  safe  to  predict  that  during  the  next  few 
years  a  school  without  a  garden  of  some  kind 
will  be  an  exception. 


15 


CHAPTER   III 

SCHOOL   GARDENS   IN    AMEKICA 

CHILDREN'S  gardens,  instead  of  school  gar- 
dens, would  better  express  the  existing  order  of 
things.  Various  enterprises  have  been  under- 
taken under  different  auspices  in  different  parts 
of  the  country.  Boston  was  the  pioneer,  and  has 
done  some  of  the  best  work — supported  by  the 
Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society,  the  Massa- 
chusetts Civic  League,  the  Women's  Auxiliary 
of  the  American  Park  and  Outdoor  Art  Asso- 
ciation, the  Twentieth  Century  Club  and  the 
Normal  School. 

The  largest  and  most  complete  garden  in 
this  country  was  established  and  is  supported  by 
the  National  Cash  Register  Company  of  Dayton, 
Ohio.  One  of  the  most  technical  gardens,  where 
the  children  have  experience  in  grafting,  bud- 
ding and  greenhouse  work,  is  at  the  School 
of  Horticulture,  Hartford,  Conn.  The  garden 
at  the  Hyannis  Normal  School  has  a  vital  con- 
nection with  home  interests,  and  with  business 
training  through  the  practical  experience  it 
gives  in  buying,  selling,  drawing  checks,  and 

16 


SCHOOL   GARDENS   IN   AMERICA 

the  like.  The  school  garden  of  Teachers  Col- 
lege and  the  roof  garden  of  the  Speyer  School 
are  phases  of  the  great  educational  system  of 
Columbia  University.  The  Department  of  Agri- 
culture at  Washington  has  given  encourage- 
ment and  training  to  teachers  and  students  of 
the  Normal  School  of  that  city,  supplying  them 


An  Experiment  Garden,  Washington,  D.  C. 

with  instructors  and  equipment  for  their  work. 
A  portion  of  the  Department  Grounds  has 
been  devoted  to  a  children's  garden.  Another 
very  important  phase  of  this  work  is  being 
carried  on  in  Washington  by  those  interested 
in  improving  the  condition  of  the  poor.  These 
gardens,  about  five  hundred  in  number,  are  in 
all  parts  of  the  city  at  the  homes  of  the  children. 
There  are  twelve  experiment  gardens,  under 
3  17 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

the  direction  of  trained  men  who  give  the  chil- 
dren the  instruction  necessary  for  good,  intelli- 
gent work.  The  Home  Gardening  Association 
of  Cleveland  has  done  similar  work  with  most 
gratifying  returns. 

Newspapers  have  encouraged  this  move- 
ment by  offering  prizes  for  good  work,  and  St. 
Louis  is  an  excellent  example  of  what  can  be 
accomplished  by  encouragement  and  apprecia- 
tion, the  results  being  evident  in  all  parts  of  the 
city.  Village  Improvement  Associations  have 
demonstrated  the  importance  of  this  work  in 
many  places  from  Massachusetts  to  Missouri. 
Very  efficient  work  has  been  done  at  the  Indian 
and  Colored  Schools  of  Hampton  and  Tuske- 
gee.  Gardening,  or  agricultural  education,  is 
one  of  the  solutions  of  the  race  problems. 

The  "  Children's  School-Farm  "  of  New  York 
City  illustrates  what  can  be  done  by  the  indi- 
vidual effort  with  the  aid  of  philanthropic  per- 
sons and  public  officials  to  render  assistance  in 
support  of  an  object  that  has  been  demonstrated 
to  be  of  great  moral  value.  Excellent  results 
have  been  accomplished  in  Rochester  under  the 
support  and  encouragement  of  the  Women's 
Educational  and  Industrial  Union.  In  Minne- 
sota, Wisconsin,  Illinois,  Iowa,  Missouri  and 
other  Western  States,  where  there  is  plenty  of 
ground,  the  school-garden  movement  is  being 

18 


SCHOOL   GARDENS   IN   AMERICA 

extended  and  excellent  results  have  already  been 
secured.  Interest  in  this  movement  is  growing 
and  has  the  approval  of  all  who  are  interested 
in  educational  and  sociological  progress. 

Schools  in  Canada  are  beginning  to  study 
gardening  on  broad  scientific  lines.  Men  have 
been  sent  by  the  Department  of  Education  to 
some  of  the  best  colleges  and  universities  of  the 
United  States  to  be  thoroughly  trained  for  this 
most  important  work.  Large  areas  of  land 
have  been  devoted  to  this  purpose.  The  school 
laws  of  the  West  Indies  also  include  extensive 
plans  for  school  gardens. 

Boston  has  been  a  pioneer  in  the  school-gar- 
den movement,  and  has  succeeded  effectively 
along  many  lines.  The  work  was  instituted 
twenty-five  years  ago  by  some  philanthropic 
persons  of  Boston  who  petitioned  the  Horticul- 
tural Society  to  assume  the  responsibility  of 
organizing  a  committee  whose  duty  should  be 
to  try,  if  possible,  to  mitigate  the  hard  and 
dreary  life  conditions  of  poor  people,  by  intro- 
ducing some  "  sweetness  and  light."  The  com- 
mittee was  supplied  with  all  the  money  neces- 
sary for  carrying  on  the  work,  and  permitted 
to  use  the  seal  of  the  society  on  its  circulars, 
thus  beginning  with  good  financial,  scientific 
and  moral  backing.  The  committee  undertook 
at  once  the  English  custom  of  window-garden- 

19 


CHILDREN'S   GARDENS 

ing,  and  secured  the  cooperation  of  city  mis- 
sionaries, teachers  of  mission  and  other  schools, 
and  officers  of  associated  charities.  The  custom 
of  distributing  cut  flowers  at  Easter-tide  was 
quite  general  in  the  churches,  and,  through  the 
influence  of  this  committee,  the  Sunday-school 


Paving  Removed  for  a  Garden,  Boston,  Mass. 

superintendents  were  induced  to  purchase  and 
distribute  potted  plants,  which  were  more  last- 
ing in  their  beauty.  The  results  were  very 
gratifying,  and,  in  1879,  there  were  three  exhi- 
bitions held  in  Horticultural  Hall  in  Boston. 
The  great  hall,  devoted  to  the  display  of  the 
best  plants,  was  an  interesting  sight,  as  the 

20 


SCHOOL    GARDENS    IN   AMERICA 

children  brought  their  plants  in  bloom  and  out 
of  bloom,  all  eagerly  expecting  the  prize.  Grad- 
ually, lack  of  interest  and  funds  caused  the  de- 
cline and  final  abandonment  of  the  enterprise. 

In  1887,  a  reorganization  was  made  on  a 
different  basis,  the  Horticultural  Society  as- 
suming the  financial  support.  The  School-Board 
granted  special  permission  to  the  teachers  to  in- 
terest and  instruct  children  in  plant-growing, 
and  the  exhibition  at  Roxbury,  largely  the  work 
of  boys,  gave  evidence  of  the  efficient  work  done 
by  them.  Prizes  were  awarded  for  cut  flowers 
raised  by  the  children,  and  for  collections  of 
wild  flowers,  arranged  in  vases,  and  correctly 
named. 

The  committee  decided  to  offer  prizes  for 
window-gardens,  to  be  ready  for  exhibition 
during  the  month  of  March.  The  experiment 
demonstrated  that  plants  will  grow  under  the 
most  unfavorable  conditions.  A  member  of 
the  Horticultural  Society  who  was  a  lover  of 
children,  provided  plants  suitable  for  winter 
blooming,  placed  a  room  of  his  greenhouse  at 
the  disposal  of  the  committee,  and  insured  care 
of  the  plants.  Seeds  and  cuttings  were  obtained 
and  five  hundred  plants  were  given  to  the  chil- 
dren. In  1887,  one  school  furnished  growing 
plants,  and  on  Easter  Sunday,  1890,  thirteen 
thousand  plants  were  distributed. 

21 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

The  work  has  grown  steadily  and  is  being 
carried  on  under  different  auspices.  The  Twen- 
tieth Century  Club  of  Boston  assumed  the 
expense — ninety-two  dollars — of  establishing  a 
school  garden  containing  eighty-two  beds  in  the 
yard  of  the  English  High  School  on  Dartmouth 
Street.  Boys  from  the  Rice  School  and  girls 
from  the  Franklin  School  enjoyed  its  privileges. 
The  students  of  the  Normal  School  also  received 
instruction  in  the  theory  and  practise  of  raising 
flowers  and  vegetables. 

The  Massachusetts  Civic  League  of  Boston 
inaugurated  a  playground  on  a  large  tract  of 
land  on  Columbus  Avenue.  This  is  equipped 
not  only  with  apparatus  for  the  exercise  and  the 
amusement  of  children  under  the  direction  of 
trained  instructors,  but  contains  inside  the  fence 
three  hundred  and  fifty  children's  gardens,  each 
three  and  a  half  by  six  feet,  in  which  a  variety 
of  flowers  and  vegetables  affords  the  little  gar- 
deners great  pleasure  and  profit. 

The  George  Putnam  School  Garden,  Boston, 
is  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  in  the  coun- 
try. The  wild-flower  garden  was  begun  in  1890 
and  has  supplied  the  school  with  nature-study 
material.  The  kitchen-garden  was  inaugurated 
in  1900  with  eighty-four  beds,  each  three  and  a 
half  by  ten  feet,  and  progressed  on  lines  similar 
to  other  gardens.  In  the  autumn  the  ground 

22 


SCHOOL    GARDENS    IN   AMERICA 

was  prepared  for  receiving  bulbs.  The  German 
method  of  tillage — fall  plowing  for  keeping  the 
soil  light  and  open  to  admit  air  and  moisture, 
thus  setting  free  plant-food  and  supplying 
nitrogen — was  explained.  After  the  soil  was 
properly  prepared,  bulbs  were  put  in  for  spring 
blooming. 

The  nature-study  work  of  the  Junior  Natu- 
ralist Clubs  is  carried  on  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Extension  Department  of  Cornell  University, 
and  it  is  an  effort  to  introduce  agriculture  into 
the  schools,  in  a  mild  form.  The  clubs  have  been 
organized  about  four  years,  and  have  been  in- 
creasing in  number  and  strength  and  usefulness 
each  year.  There  are  about  three  thousand  in 
New  York  State  and  several  hundred  outside 
the  State. 

To  supplement  the  nature  study  of  the  class- 
room, gardens  were  planted  on  school  grounds — 
three  or  four  of  the  principal  cities  of  the  State 
being  selected  for  purposes  of  experiment.  Most 
successful  and  encouraging  work  was  accom- 
plished at  Rochester.  Arrangements  were  made 
with  one  of  the  leading  seedsmen  of  the  State 
for  sale  of  seed  packets  at  a  cent  a  packet,  and 
the  work  had  the  stimulus  of  competition.  Chil- 
dren were  encouraged  to  purchase  seeds  for 
home  gardening  and  the  progress  of  the  under- 
taking has  been  most  gratifying. 

23 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

Two  phases  of  the  work  are  strongly  empha- 
sized— the  ethical  and  practical.  An  effort  is 
made  to  inculcate  a  love  of  natural  objects,  trees, 
flowers,  insects,  birds,  and  to  demonstrate  the 
best  methods  of  successful  gardening. 

No  organization  has  accomplished  more  ef- 
fective and  permanent  results  than  the  Home 
Gardening  Association  of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Its 
policy  has  been  business-like,  and  nothing  has 
been  attempted  that  has  not  been  successful. 

The  improved  conditions  of  many  homes  are 
due  to  its  influence.  A  new  feature  has  been  un- 
dertaken this  year — the  establishment  of  four 
vegetable  gardens,  three  in  the  school  yards, 
and  one  in  a  vacant  lot  near  a  school — by  the 
association  and  the  School  Council  in  coop- 
eration. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  report  of 
the  Home  Gardening  Association  of  Cleveland 
for  1903  indicate  the  progress  of  the  work : 

"  One  call  of  the  present  time  is  i  back  to 
nature.'  It  is  a  cheery  invitation.  Multitudes  go 
from  the  city  every  year  to  enjoy  for  a  time  the 
delights  of  the  country.  Other  larger  multitudes 
must  stay  behind  in  cramped  quarters  where  there 
is  plenty  of  smoke  and  dust,  but  little  to  suggest 
the  beauty  of  the  fields  and  woods.  The  Home 
Gardening  Association  has  pointed  out  a  way  to 
make  the  city  wilderness  bloom,  to  cause  flowers 

24 


SCHOOL    GARDENS    IN   AMERICA 

to  blossom  in  the  smallest  spaces.  This  has  been 
done  in  order  that  those  who  can  not  go  to  nature 
may  have  a  touch  of  it  near  at  hand.  The  proc- 
ess has  been  educational.  The  president  of  the 
association  was  convinced  at  the  start  that  if 
people  only  knew  what  to  grow,  and  an  easy  way 
could  be  found  to  provide  the  seeds,  the  desired 


Window-Boxes  at  Goodrich  House,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

result  would  come.  The  development  of  the 
work  and  the  proportions  to  which  it  has  grown 
are  shown  by  this  fourth  annual  report. 

"  Window-boxes  presented  to  Goodrich  House 
by  the  Home  Gardening  Association  were  undis- 
turbed all  summer.  The  boxes  were  within  easy 
reach  of  the  sidewalk,  toward  which  the  vines 

25 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

hung  down  in  tempting  array.  Men,  women  and 
children  went  to  and  fro  every  day  and  yet 
scarcely  a  leaf  was  touched.  A  few  years  ago 
the  experience  would  have  been  different.  Flow- 
ers planted  in  beds,  along  the  same  sidewalks,  at 
that  time  were  picked  as  soon  as  they  appeared  or 
the  plants  plucked  up,  roots  and  all.  This  year 
the  flowers  bloomed  without  molestation.  The 


Test  Garden  in  the  Center  of  Cleveland,  Ol 


change  is  due  to  an  awakened  love  for  flowers. 
A  considerable  proportion  of  the  people  in  all 
parts  of  the  city  now  have  gardens  of  some  sort 
at  home.  Those  who  care  for  flowers — plant  the 
seed,  watch  the  young  shoots,  await  the  opening 
of  bud  into  blossom— respect  the  living  plant 
everywhere,  and  enjoy  the  touch  of  natural  color 
which  it  brings.  The  Home  Gardening  Associ- 

26 


SCHOOL    GARDENS    IN    AMERICA 

ation  from  the  beginning  of  its  existence  has 
shown  the  possibility  of  flower  culture  and  has 
called  attention  to  the  pleasure  such  occupation 
brings.  The  influence  of  the  association  is  indi- 
cated even  more  clearly  by  the  incident  of  the 
window-boxes  than  by  the  increase  in  the  quan- 
tity of  seed  distributed. 

"  Seed  Distribution. — The  kind  of  work  done 
by  the  association  in  former  years  has  been  con- 
tinued without  essential  change,  although  some 
new  features  have  been  added.  The  distribution 
of  seeds,  153,705  packages,  was  larger  than  ever 
before.  Of  these  packages,  132,095  went  to  the 
pupils  in  Cleveland  Public  Schools,  5,700  pack- 
ages to  other  local  organizations,*  and  15,910  to 


*  "  One  of  the  local  organizations,  the  Slavic  Alliance,  which 
used  the  seeds,  sent  through  its  president  the  following  com- 
munication: 

"  'The  Slavic  Alliance  was  organized  in  Cleveland  in  Decem- 
ber, 1902.  Its  field  of  activity  and  service  is  among  the  people 
of  Slavic  origin.  The  Slavic  race  is  represented  in  our  city  by 
members  of  the  following  nationalities,  here  given  in  the  order 
of  their  numerical  strength,  namely:  Bohemians,  Poles,  Slovaks, 
Slovenes,  Croatians  and  Russians.  By  birth  or  descent  there 
live  to-day  in  Cleveland  about  100,000  persons  of  Slavic  blood. 
The  Slavic  Alliance  is  a  non-sectarian  organization,  its  object 
being  purely  educational  and  philanthropic.  As  stated  in  its 
constitution,  its  purposes  are:  "To  foster  a  spirit  of  kinship 
among  the  people  of  Slavic  origin  for  the  purpose  of  uplifting 
the  race;  to  aid  them  in  all  that  tends  to  their  moral,  social  and 
intellectual  advancement;  to  assist  them  in  the  defense  of  their 
common  interests,  and  to  teach  them  the  rights  and  duties  of 
American  citizenship." 

27 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

organizations  and  institutions  in  different  parts 
of  the  country.  This  means  that  the  seeds  went 
to  25,000  Cleveland  homes  at  least.  The  money 
received  from  the  seed  sales  paid  the  expenses  of 
the  association,  including  the  money  paid  for 
flower-show  prizes,  for  lectures,  for  the  Rockwell 
School  yard,  for  the  exhibition  garden,  for  the 
Goodrich  House  window-boxes,  and  for  the  ex- 
cess in  cost  of  bulbs  ordered  from  Holland.  The 
method  of  seed  distribution  adopted  last  year 
proved  so  satisfactory  that  no  change  was  deemed 
necessary  this  season.  The  envelopes,  on  each  of 
which  one  order  could  be  made  (by  marking  the 
number  of  packages  desired  opposite  the  varie- 
ties), to  which  the  name  and  address  of  the 
person  giving  the  order  could  be  subscribed,  were 
again  used. 

"  '  The  work  of  the  Home  Gardening  Association  of  Cleve- 
land was  called  to  the  attention  of  the  members  of  the  executive 
body  of  the  Alliance,  which  consists  of  delegates  from  the  various 
lodges  or  societies  of  the  different  nationalities.  The  beneficial 
results  of  this  work,  both  material  and  moral,  appealed  to  all, 
and  it  was  decided  to  begin  our  part  in  the  crusade  for  a 
more  beautiful  and  healthful  Cleveland,  and  to  arouse  in  our 
people  a  greater  civic  pride.  And  so  we  incorporated  as  a  per- 
manent feature  the  home-gardening  movement  in  our  working 
program. 

11  '  The  work  of  the  Slavic  Alliance  is  from  the  nature  of 
things  supplementary  to  that  of  the  Home  Gardening  Asso- 
ciation. As  large  numbers  of  the  Slavic  children  attend  the 
public  schools,  they  are  therefore  reached  directly  by  your 
association.  However,  the  Alliance  seeks  to  arouse  a  general 
interest  in  home  gardening  everywhere,  among  old  and  young 

28 


SCHOOL    GARDENS   IN   AMERICA 

"  The  lectures  given  in  the  public  schools 
accomplished  the  purpose  for  which  they  were 
given.  Twenty-four  schools  made  arrangements 
to  have  them.  The  lectures  were  illustrated  with 
lantern  slides.  Hand-bills  passed  about  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  school  usually  secured  an 
audience  sufficient  to  fill  the  meeting-place.  Th6 
lecturer  endeavored  on  every  occasion  to  bring 
out  the  way  in  which  seeds  should  be  planted  and 
cared  for,  but  emphasized  also  the  possible  ar- 
rangement of  plants  to  exhibit  to  best  advantage 
their  size  and  color.  The  growing  qualities  of 
the  various  seeds  were  also  mentioned.  The  illus- 
trations included  not  only  artistic  arrangements 
of  form  and  color  secured  in  famous  gardens  by 
skilled  workmen,  but  also  results  obtained  by 
those  who  planted  the  seeds  distributed  by  the 

alike,  and  its  first  success  gives  encouragement  and  much 
promise  for  the  future.  The  Alliance  sold  about  6,500  packages 
of  flower-seeds.  The  Slavic  newspapers  of  Cleveland,  and 
even  some  in  other  cities,  heartily  indorsed  the  home-gardening 
movement  and  encouraged  it.  Many  orders  for  seeds  were 
received  from  points  outside  of  Cleveland. 

"  '  For  the  year  1904  the  Slavic  Alliance  is  making  prepara- 
tions to  give  a  greater  impulse  to  this  movement.  Among 
other  things  25,000  copies  will  be  issued  in  four  different  lan- 
guages of  a  pamphlet  upon  home  gardening,  and  home  improve- 
ment, containing  instructions  and  hints  as  to  successful  culti- 
vation, and  dealing  separately  with  each  variety  of  flowers  in 
this  year's  list.  The  Alliance  seeks  to  meet  the  situation  in 
the  most  practical  way,  and  hopes  to  realize  in  some  humble 
measure  the  fruits  of  these  efforts  for  the  good  of  our  fair  city 
and  for  the  enrichment  of  its  civic  life.'  " 

29 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

association  the  previous  year.  To  these  were 
added  pictures  of  the  flower-shows  in  the  schools. 
Interest  centered  in  the  pictures  of  these  flower- 
shows.  The  desirability  of  making  a  flower- 
show  in  each  school  was  mentioned.  '  The  aim  of 
the  talks  was  to  indicate  the  possibilities  of  nat- 
ural beauty  in  the  city  where  the  children  have 
little  contact  with  birds  and  trees  and  other  nat- 
ural objects.' 

"  The  Dellenbaugh  Prizes. — In  May,  Judge 
Dellenbaugh  offered  bulbs  as  prizes  for  the  best 
gardens,  one  reason  for  the  offer  being  that: 
'  The  completion  of  our  Park  System  and  the 
adornment  of  our  yards  with  shrubs  and  flowers 
will  make  Cleveland  old  mother  earth's  matchless 
beauty  spot.' 

"  The  florists  and  seedsmen  of  the  city  now 
give  every  encouragement  to  the  association,  and 
well  they  may,  for  within  the  past  year  or  two 
their  sales  have  about  doubled." 

The  leaflets  shown  on  pages  31  to  33  with 
others  have  been  issued  by  the  Home  Gardening 
Association. 

The  Boys'  Garden  established  and  main- 
tained by  the  National  Cash  Register  Company 
of  Dayton,  Ohio,  was  the  first  garden  in  the 
United  States  instituted  and  owned  by  a  cor- 
poration. Its  president,  a  thoroughly  practical 
and  successful  business  man,  attributes  his  suc- 

30 


The  Home  Gardening  Association. 

1904.  * 

DIRECTIONS  FOR  CARE  OF  THE  GARDEN. 

Plant  seeds  in  garden  or  boxes  early  in  May. 

Fill  boxes  with  four  or  five  inches  of  fine,  rich  soil. 

Place  boxes  in  sunny  place,  and  sprinkle  every  day. 

Cover  boxes  at  night,  if  very  cold. 

Transplant  seedlings  to  the  garden  about  June  ist,  on  a  damp  day. 

Sow  seeds   of  Calliopsis,  Nasturtiums,  Morning-Glorles  and  Four-o'clocks  in 
the  garden,  as  they  do  not  stand  transplanting. 

SUGGESTIONS    FOR    WINDOW-BOXES. 

Make  the  box  six  or  eight  inches  deep,  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  wide,  and  as 
long  as  the  window  is  wide. 

Fill  the  boxes  with  fine,  rich  soil  and  fasten  firmly  to  the  sunniest  window. 

Place  similar  boxes  on  the  porch  or  fence. 

Plant  Morning-Glories  on  the  side  nearest  the  house  and  train  up  on  strings. 

Plant  Climbing  Nasturtiums  near  outside,  to  hang  down  over  the  box. 

Plant  Calliopsis,  Zinnias,  Marigolds,  Asters  or  Verbenas  in  middle  of  box. 

Plants  should  stand  four  or  five  inches  apart. 

Boxes  need  water  every  day. 

MAKING    OF    YOUR    FLOWER-BEDS. 

Select  sunniest  part  of  the  yard. 

Avoid  a  place  where  the  dripping  from  the  roof  will  fall  on  the  bed. 

Best  effects  are  produced  by  planting  all  of  one  variety  in  one  place. 

PREPARATION    OF    THE    SOIL. 

Dig  up  the  bed  as  early  as  possible,  a  foot  deep. 

Mix  with  the  soil  some  rich  earth,  well  rotted  manure,  or  leaf-mold  from  the 
woods. 

Rake  the  beds  and  keep  the  soil  fine  and  free  from  lumps. 

PLANTING    OF    SEEDS. 

See  directions  on  the  Seed  Packet. 

WATERING    OF    THE    GARDEN. 

Sprinkle  the  beds  every  day,  if  necessary,  until  the  plants  are  one  inch  high. 
Do  not  allow  the  soil  to  become  dry. 

Sprinkle  thoroughly  every  few  days,  when  the  plants  are  two  or  three  inches 
high,  instead  of  lightly  every  day. 

Water  in  the  morning  and  evening. 

THINNING    OF    PLANTS    IN    THE    GARDEN. 

Avoid  having  plants  too  crowded. 

Thin  the  plants  when  they  are  two  or  three  inches  high,  on  a  cloudy  day,  when 
the  soil  is  moist. 

Transplant  seedlings  pulled  up  to  another  bed,  or  give  them  to  some  friend. 

Take  up  a  little  soil  with  each  plant. 

Use  a  trowel,  an  old  kitchen-fork  or  small,  flat,  thin  stick. 

PICKING    OF    FLOWERS. 

Do  not  allow  flowers  to  go  to  seed. 

Pick  them  every  day  and  more  will  bloom. 

Allow  a  few  of  the  best  flowers  to  go  to  seed  for  next  year's  garden. 

Keep  beautiful,  fresh  flowers  in  your  house  and  share  them  with  the  sick. 

THINGS  TO    REMEMBER. 

Dig  deep  and  make  the  soil  fine  on  the  surface. 
Keep  pulling  out  the  weeds  all  summer. 
Sprinkle  the  seeds  every  day. 

Water  the  bed  thoroughly  every  few  days  during  the  whole  summer. 
Pick  your  flowers  every  day. 
Keep  your  garden  neat. 
Flowers  require  attention  all  summer. 

By  attending  to  these  things  you  will  have  flowers   all  summer  and  for  the 
flower-show  in  the  fall. 

31 


Home  Gardening  Association 

PRIZES  FOR  1904 

FLOWER-SHOW    PRIZES: 

First  Prize  —  $10,  for  the  best  show  in  each  group. 
Second  Prize  —  $5,  for  the  second  best  show  in  each  group. 

(The  schools  will  be  divided  into  four  groups,  according  to  size 
and  location. ) 

In  awarding  prizes  the  judges  will  give  special  attention  to 
flowers  grown  from  Home  Gardening  seeds. 

Judge  Dellenbaugh  will  present  1,000  bulbs  for  out-door  plant- 
ing to  every  school  which  has  a  creditable  flower-show. 

These  prizes  will  be  awarded  with  the  understanding  that  the 
money  and  bulbs  are  to  be  used  to  improve  school  grounds. 

GARDEN    PRIZES: 

First  Prize  —  $10,  to  the  school  where  the  percentage  of  pu- 
pils enrolled  who  cultivate  gardens  is  largest. 

Second  Prize  —  $5,  to  the  school  where  the  percentage  of 
pupils  enrolled  who  cultivate  gardens  is  next  largest. 

The  teachers  will  arrange  sometime  during  September  to  have  a 
descriptive  letter  written  by  each  pupil  who  has  a  garden.  The  num- 
ber of  these  letters  will  be  reported  to  Miss  Emma  Davis,  Rose 
Building,  before  Nov.  1st,  1904. 

The  prizes  will  be  awarded  on  the  basis  of  the  number  of  these 
letters.  Tn  this  contest  a  window-box  will  count  as  a  garden.  The 
money  received  from  these  prizes  is  also  to  be  used  in-  the  improve- 
ment of  school  yards. 

Judge  Dellenbaugh  will  offer  prizes  for  the  best  gardens 
and  window-boxes  in  each  ward.  The  conditions  of  this 
contest  will  be  published  in  the  daily  papers  on  Saturday, 
May  14. 

The  Home  Gardening  Association  congratulates  the  pupils  of 
the  public  schools  upon  the  large  number  of  gardens  planted  last 
year.  These  gardens  added  very  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  city.  It 
is  the  hope  of  the  association  that  every  pupil  may  have  a  well-cared- 
for  garden  or  window-box  this  year.  In  this  way  Cleveland  would 
become  the  most  beautiful  city  in  the  country. 

32 


The  Home  Gardening  Association. 

SEEDS  FOR  1904 
Price  One  Cent  a   Packet. 

Mark  opposite  the  variety  the  number  of  packets  wanted. 
Separate  Colors  Cannot  be  Ordered. 


Aster,  mixed, 
Scarlet,  White,  Blue  A,  Rose, 
15  inches  high 

Nasturtium,  a  climber, 
Yellow,  Orange  and  Red, 
6  ft.  Jiigh 

Bachelor's  Button  or  Cornflower, 
Blue,  Pink  and  White, 
2  ft.  high. 

Nasturtium,  bush, 
Yellow,  Orange  and  Red, 
1  ft.  high. 

Balsam  or  Lady  Slipper, 
Mixed  Colon, 
2  ft.  high. 

China  Pinks,  mixed, 
Pink,  Scarlet,  White  and 
Lilac,  6  inches  high. 

Calliopsis  or  Coreopsis, 
Yellow  and  Brown, 
2  ft.  high. 

Phlox,  mixed, 
Scarlet,  Pink  and  White, 
1  ft.  high 

•Cosmos—  Mixed, 
White,  Pink  and  Red, 
5  ft.  high. 

Scarlet  Runner, 
A  climber,  Scarlet, 
7ft.  high. 

Four-tt'clock, 

Yellow,  White  and  Crimson, 
2ft.  high. 

Verbena,  mixed, 
White,  Scarlet,  Purple, 
6  inches  high. 

WarigoJd, 
Yellow, 
1  ft.  high. 

Zinnia, 
Scarlet, 
2  ft.  high. 

Morning  Glory,  a  climber. 
Mixed  Colors, 
12  ft.  high. 

**Gladioll  Bulbs, 
Red.  Yellow  and  Pink, 
ONE  CENT  BACH 

Return  thie  envelope  to  the  teacher,  with  your  money.   Do  not  put  money 
this  envelope. 


No.  of  packets. 


Amount cents. 


Write  your  name  here... 
Address 


Grade , School. 


Your  seeds  will  be  delivered  to  you  in  THIS  ENVELOPE  about  May  1st.  Pre- 
pare your  garden  in  April.  Select  the  sunniest  part  of  your  yard,  but  avoid  a 
place  where  the  dripping  .from  the  roof  will  fall  on  the  bed.  Dig  deep — a  full 
foot.  Soil  with  well-rotted  manure  dug  in,  will  give  better  results  than  poor  eoil. 

Pour-O'Clock,  Bachelor's  Button,  Marigold,  Calliopsis,  Zinnia.  Morning 
Glory  and  Nasturtium  are  the  easiest  to  grow  successfully 

*Cosmos  is  not  reeommended  for  smokiest  districts.    Blooms  in  October. 

**Gladipli  Bulbs  should  be  planted  right  side  up,  in  a  good,  rich  soil,  in  a  sunny 

ation,  six  inches  deep  and  six  inches  apart.     Will  send  up  one  stalk  of  bloom 


aituat: 

three  months  after  planting 


Flower  stalk  may  need 


by  tying  to  a 
spring.     Store 
where  they  will  not  be  frozen.    Will  make  a  fine  display  in  school  yard. 


stick.    The  bulbs  should  be  taken  up  in  October  and  planted  next  spring. 

"  play  i 


Many  Window  Boxes  should  be  planted.    TRY  ONE 


Facsimile  of  Ordering  Envelope. 

4  33 


34 


35 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

cess  in  life  to  the  industrious  habits  contracted 
when  he  was  a  boy  on  a  farm.  He  agrees  with 
all  thinking  people  who  consider  the  present 
educational  system  seriously,  that  there  is  too 
much  involution  and  not  enough  evolution;  too 
much  poured  in  and  not  enough  drawn  out;  too 
much  training  of  the  head  and  too  little  of  the 
hand  and  the  heart.  In  order  to  counteract  this 
and  stimulate  thought  and  activity  he  deter- 
mined to  establish  a  Boys'  Garden.  In  1897  a 
piece  of  ground  adjoining  the  factory  was  laid 
out  in  plots,  ten  by  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet. 
Forty  boys,  ranging  in  age  from  eight  to  six- 
teen years,  were  enrolled  under  the  direction  of 
an  experienced  gardener,  and  began  work.  The 
number  of  these  gardens  has  grown  until  now 
there  are  seventy-one,  each  ten  by  one  hundred 
and  seventy  feet.  A  convenient  tool-house  was 
built  and  water-pipes  run  in  at  convenient 
points  about  the  garden.  Each  boy  has  a  sepa- 
rate hoe,  rake  and  spade,  the  number  of  which 
corresponds  to  the  number  of  his  garden,  and 
he  is  responsible  for  keeping  his  tools  clean,  in 
order,  and  in  their  proper  places.  The  head 
gardener  instructs  the  boys  in  the  care  of  tools 
and  in  the  planting  of  vegetables,  appointing  a 
different  boy  each  day  as  his  assistant,  whose 
duty  it  is  to  inspect  the  garden.  The  head  gar- 
dener also  cultivates  a  plot  of  his  own,  in  com- 

36 


SCHOOL    GARDENS    IN   AMERICA 

petition  with  the  boys,  the  real  object  being  to 
demonstrate  the  proper  way  of  planting  with- 
out too  much  instruction. 

Simple  lessons  in  the  study  of  soils,  in  the 
proper  method  of  planting  and  of  tillage  are 
given  in  a  practical  way  that  appeals  to  the  in- 
telligent interest  of  a  boy,  and  he  is  taught  to 
do  by  doing.  The  boys  sow  beets  with  onions, 
raise  two  crops  of  lettuce,  three  or  four  of 
radishes,  thus  utilizing  the  soil  at  all  seasons. 
Peppers  were  planted  with  onions,  beans  and 
peas;  eggplants  and  cabbages,  and  cantaloups 
with  the  cabbage.  Tomatoes  and  potatoes  were 
raised.  Turnips  grew  with  the  potatoes.  Beans 
were  planted  with  the  watermelons  and  har- 
vested before  the  melons  were  grown. 

Each  boy  is  entitled  to  the  product  of  his 
labor,  and  so  abundant  has  been  the  harvest  in 
some  instances,  that  one  boy  provided  his  entire 
family  of  five  with  vegetables  during  the  entire 
season  and  cleared  five  dollars  in  money.  He 
won  the  first  prize  and  a  position  in  the  fac- 
tory, where  he  made  himself  so  useful  that  at  the 
end  of  the  first  week  his  salary  was  advanced 
fifty  cents.  When  asked  by  the  foreman  where 
he  formed  his  habits  of  industry  he  promptly 
replied,  "  In  my  years  in  the  garden."  The 
testimony  of  a  man  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  work  is  that  the  children  develop  thirty  per 

37 


38 


39 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

cent  more  rapidly  in  moral,  mental  and  phys- 
ical power  than  if  they  were  confined  strictly 
to  their  school  work. 

During  the  season  of  1902  the  first  "  Chil- 
dren's School-Farm  "  in  New  York  City  occu- 
pied a  space  one  hundred  and  fourteen  feet 
by  eighty-four  feet  on  an  unimproved  area 
on  Fifty- third  Street  between  Eleventh  and 
Twelfth  avenues,  which  is  destined  to  become  a 
part  of  the  park  system  of  Greater  New  York. 
Although  overlooking  the  Hudson  River  it  was 
an  unpromising  situation  for  a  garden,  having 
been  for  years  a  dumping-ground  and  a  storage- 
place  for  trucks.  It  was  necessary  to  import 
good  loam  and  as  the  season  for  planting  was 
late — July  27th — quick-growing  seeds  were  se- 
lected. Each  "  farmer "  had  a  plot,  three  by 
six  feet,  for  which  he  was  responsible  and  to 
the  products  of  which  he  was  entitled. 

Twenty-five  children  worked  at  a  time,  under 
careful  supervision  and  direction.  The  gar- 
deners detailed  by  the  Park  Department  were 
Swedes  who  had  had  experience  in  School  Gar- 
dens in  their  own  country  and  who  realized  the 
benefits  of  such  training. 

The  children  were  drawn  from  the  densely 
populated  West  Side,  those  who  came  first  being 
enrolled  without  distinction  of  age  or  sex.  They 
worked  with  interest,  intelligence  and  enjoy- 

40 


SCHOOL    GARDENS   IN   AMERICA 

ment,  and  by  their  energy  and  constancy  of 
purpose,  clearly  demonstrated  that  a  "  bad  boy  " 
is  only  a  case  of  misdirected  energy.  The  sec- 
ond year  of  the  experiment  many  new  features 
were  introduced  which  broadened  the  scope  of 
the  work  and  gave  it  a  greater  sociological 
significance.  A  small  house  was  erected  and 
equipped,  and  two  girls  were  appointed  each 
day  to  serve  as  housekeepers.  They  were 
taught  the  simple  duties  of  housekeeping,  sweep- 
ing, dusting,  scrubbing  and  ironing  and  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  a  hostess.  The  house  was  pro- 
vided with  window-boxes  and  the  yard  carefully 
sodded  and  adorned  with  flower-beds.  A  pig,  a 
rooster,  several  hens  and  some  small  chickens 
afforded  additional  interest. 

This  experiment  has  demonstrated  conclu- 
sively that  the  vandalism  incident  to  the  con- 
gested condition  of  city  life,  will  cease  when  a 
legitimate  outlet  for  self-activity  is  afforded. 

Excellent  work  has  been  accomplished  by 
the  members  of  the  Junior  Horticultural  School 
of  the  Civic  Improvement  League  of  St.  Louis. 
The  League  has  been  active  and  instrumental 
in  beautifying  that  city,  and  finding  employ- 
ment and  amusement  for  boys  during  vacation. 
When  the  plan  of  teaching  them  farming  and 
gardening  was  conceived,  the  Trustees  of  the 
Shaw  Garden  offered  five  acres  of  land  for  the 

41 


CHILDREN'S   GARDENS 

purpose.  Each  boy  was  given  a  plot,  eleven 
by  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet,  which  he 
planted  after  a  model  set  by  the  young  woman 
in  charge,  who  is  a  trained  gardener  and  bota- 
nist. Her  own  model  farm  was  alongside  the 
others,  and  when  a  boy  needed  some  individual 
information  and  stimulus,  he  was  sent  to  the 
model  farm  for  observation,  and  he  then  en- 
deavored to  perfect  his  own. 

When  the  crops  were  matured,  some  of  the 
boys  took  their  products  home  or  sold  them  to 
their  neighbors,  while  others  had  regular  cus- 
tomers who  called  and  purchased  directly  from 
the  "  Farms."  A  business  man  gave  money  for 
prizes  and  announced  that  he  would  give  money 
for  the  gardens  next  year,  and  also  for  one  in 
North  St.  Louis.  On  accepting  the  offer  the 
chairman  of  the  committee  said  that  he  ex- 
pected to  have  a  thousand  juvenile  gardens 
next  year. 

The  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  Halifax, 
Nova  Scotia,  reports  that  the  children  are  in- 
duced to  make  gardens  at  their  homes  which 
they  can  cultivate  during  the  summer  vacation. 
A  money  grant  from  the  city  of  Halifax  insures 
the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  children's 
home  gardens  in  that  city.  A  recent  report  says : 
"To  study  the  subject  of  agriculture  to  any 
extent  in  the  public  schools  seems  to  require  a 

42 


SCHOOL    GARDENS    IN   AMERICA 

specialist  and  more  time  than  is  now  allotted 
to  it.  Such  a  specialist,  employed  by  five  or 
six  schools  and  required  to  give  the  whole,  or 
part,  of  one  day  each  week  to  each  school,  would 
seem  to  me  to  meet  the  need,  and  supply  what 
in  some  counties  of  the  province  has  come  to 
be  an  urgent  demand." 


School  Garden,  San  Piadro,  Porto  Rico. 

The  school-garden  movement  has  reached 
Jamaica,  Porto  Rico  and  other  islands  of  the 
West  Indies,  and  reports  from  the  West  Indian 
Bulletin  show  how  important  and  essential  this 
phase  of  practical  work  is  considered  in  the 
educational  development  of  the  islands.  Its 
study  includes  air,  soil,  seeds,  weeds,  grasses, 

43 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

shoots  and  roots  and  experimental  work  in 
plant  physiology. 

"  In  one  of  the  most  successful  schools — 
Mount  Fletcher,  St.  Andrew — I  am  informed 
that  small  children  beg  for  seeds  and  cuttings 
to  take  home,  and  they  not  only  cultivate  flowers 
but  raise  considerable  quantities  of  vegetables 
which  are  either  consumed  locally  or  sent  to  the 
Kingston  market." 

The  Barbadoes  Agricultural  News  of  Janu- 
ary 3,  1903,  says :  "  School  gardens  are  rapidly 
becoming  recognized  factors  of  educational  work 
in  several  of  the  colonies.  The  time  is  ap- 
proaching when  every  child  in  the  West  Indies 
will  be  able  to  learn  the  principles  underlying 
agriculture." 

The  Kamehameha  Girls'  School  in  Honolulu 
furnishes  a  practical  education  to  Hawaiian 
girls  from  fourteen  years  of  age  and  over, 
qualifying  them  for  service  at  home,  for  wage- 
earning  in  some  handicraft,  or  for  entrance  to 
the  Normal  School  to  be  trained  for  teachers 
in  the  Government  Schools.  The  School  is  well 
endowed  by  its  benefactor,  Bernice  Pauahi 
Bishop,  who  died  twenty  years  ago,  and  who 
was  of  royal  blood  in  direct  line  from  the  fa- 
mous Kamehamehas.  In  the  industrial  depart- 
ment of  the  School,  the  pupils  have  high-grade 
instruction  in  weaving,  lace-making,  sewing, 

44 


45 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

dressmaking  and  cooking.  As  a  part  of  their 
five  years'  course  in  Nature  Study,  the  girls 
make  and  care  for  a  school  garden.  The  gar- 
den-plot, forty  by  twenty-four  feet,  is  divided 
into  small  beds  for  vegetables,  fruits  and  flow- 
t  ers,  each  girl  having  a  patch  of  her  own  for 
which  she  is  responsible.  As  this  outdoor  work 
may  be  done  all  the  year  with  no  intermission 
for  snow  and  ice,  the  girls  can  always  exhibit 
well-kept  beds  of  Carnations,  Marigolds,  Asters, 
Lilies,  and  some  Hawaiian  varieties  of  flowers. 
The  Hawaiians  as  a  race  are  lovers  of  flowers 
and  music,  and  it  is  natural  therefore  that  these 
girls  should  have  more  interest  in  flowers  than 
in  vegetables.  One  of  their  great  pleasures  is 
to  braid  or  string  the  blossoms  into  leis  (neck- 
laces) for  favorite  teachers  or  departing  friends. 
During  the  past  year  the  vegetable  garden 
has  yielded  corn,  cucumbers,  and  lettuce,  enough 
to  supply  in  their  time  the  different  school 
dining-tables.  A  short  time  each  day  is  spent 
by  every  girl  in  her  garden-plot,  and  on  Satur- 
day morning  all  the  girls  don  their  native  hats 
and  work  for  an  hour  in  the  school  garden. 


46 


CHAPTER   IV 

IMPKOVEMENT    OF    SCHOOL   GROUNDS 

THE  editor  *  of  a  well-known  magazine  re- 
cently asked  five  hundred  business  men  all  over 
the  country  "  whether  in  their  opinion  there  is 
any  financial  value  in  attractive  surroundings  to 
a  business  plant."  Ninety-five  per  cent  of  those 
replying  declared  that  the  product  of  a  factory 
or  a  business  concern  is  much  more  valuable 
when  the  factory  or  office  is  clean,  attractive 
and  beautiful,  and  when  the  employees  come  in 
daily  contact  with  orderly  surroundings  and 
see  grounds  made  attractive  by  plants  and  flow- 
ers. Furthermore  they  declared  that  such  well- 
ordered  business  concerns  are  commercially  a 
decided  benefit  to  the  community. 

A  question  of  equal  significance  might  be 
asked  of  educators,  preachers  and  parents, 
whether  in  their  opinion  there  is  any  moral,  in- 
tellectual or  spiritual  value  in  attractive  school 
surroundings;  whether  children  are  happier  or 
their  work  is  made  more  efficient  by  daily  con- 


Mr.  Louis  E.  Van  Norman,  editor  of  Home  and  Flowers, 

47 


November,  1902. 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

tact  with  beautiful  school  grounds;  whether  a 
cultivated  taste  and  appreciation  of  the  beau- 
tiful would  not  find  expression  in  improvement 


Individual  Planting,  Public  School  153,  Bronx,  New  York 
City. 

of  home  conditions  and  in  that  way  make  the 
school  a  radiating  center  for  civic  improvement. 
The  great  interest  in  public  beauty  which  is 
manifest  all  over  the  country  is  largely  due  to 
the  eff orts  of  The  American  Park  and  Outdoor 
Art  Association  and  the  American  League  for 
Civic  Improvement.  These  societies  have  done 
much  valuable  service  in  the  way  of  organiza- 
tion and  education.  There  is  no  better  place 

48 


IMPROVEMENT  OF  SCHOOL  GROUNDS 

to  begin  than  in  the  public  schools,  the  most 
effective  means  of  reaching  the  parents  being 
through  the  children. 

Work  is  being  undertaken  by  Civic  Clubs 
and  Women's  Clubs  in  cities  and  by  Improve- 
ment Associations  in  towns  and  villages.  The 
time  has  come  for  action;  the  movement  is  on. 
In  large  cities  property  is  considered  too  valu- 
able to  be  utilized  for  school  grounds  and  gar- 
dens, but  as  soon  as  citizens  and  municipal 


Planting  in  Masses,  Barnard  College,  New  York  City. 

authorities  are  aroused  to  an  appreciation  of 
the  importance  of  this  movement  better  condi- 
tions will  prevail.  Some  landscape  architects 
are  interested  and  excellent  results  have  been 
5  49 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

accomplished.  As  was  suggested  in  a  recent 
number  of  Park  and  Cemetery,  school  grounds 
might  be  opened  to  the  citizens  as  breathing 
spots  during  the  long  summer  vacations  and 
warm  summer  evenings,  thus  forming  a  stronger 
bond  of  sympathy  and  interest  between  school 
and  parents. 

The  greatest  need  as  well  as  the  greatest 
opportunity  is  in  village  and  rural  districts. 
And  alas !  too  often  there  is  only  bleakness  and 
barrenness.  School  directors  seem  to  set  apart 
the  poorest  ground  in  the  district  for  the  school 
yard;  there  are  no  flowers,  and  only  some  weak 
grass  and  a  few  starved  trees.  Will  nothing 
grow!  By  a  little  effort  these  unattractive  sur- 
roundings could  be  made  pleasant  and  beauti- 
ful. Children  should  be  led  to  study  Nature's 
method,  and  to  examine  her  manner  of  planting 
flowers  beside  the  road,  grouping  trees  and 
shrubs  along  the  fences,  in  the  woods  and  upon 
the  banks  of  the  streams.  The  wind,  the  birds 
and  squirrels,  Nature's  agents,  have  no  regu- 
larity in  their  seed-planting.  Consequently  the 
irregular  massing  of  her  trees,  shrubs  and  flow- 
ers, and  their  struggle  for  existence  produce 
pleasing  variety  and  effective  results  all  the 
year  round. 

Some  of  the  trees,  plants  and  vines  found 
in  field  and  wood  can  be  so  arranged  as  to 

50 


IMPROVEMENT  OF  SCHOOL  GROUNDS 

form  attractive  groups.  Trees  can  easily  be 
obtained,  and  the  most  desirable  are  Elm, 
Ash,  Beech,  Birch,  Maple,  Poplar,  Pines  and 


Amelanchier  botryapium:  Shadbush. 

Spruces;  and  these  shrubs  are  surely  common 
enough — Sumach,  Elder,  Dogwood,  Barberry, 
Witch-Hazel,  Laurel,  Rhododendron,  the  Ferns, 

51 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

Goldenrod,  Aster,  Daisy,  Milkweed,  Sunflower, 
and  the  attractive  Bittersweet,  Clematis,  Wild 
Cucumber,  and  Virginia  Creeper.  Pictures  of 
good  landscape-gardening  will  suggest  what  can 
be  accomplished  in  a  school  yard. 

Two  women  in  a  New  England  town  became 
interested  in  the  improvement  of  school  grounds. 
They  called  at  the  High  School,  and  invited  all 
the  students  who  were  willing  to  assist  in  beau- 
tifying their  school  grounds  to  attend  an  illus- 
trated lecture  on  Landscape  and  School  Garden- 
ing, to  be  given  at  a  private  house  for  their 
benefit.  The  women  were  delighted  to  have 
every  member  of  the  school  respond.  After  the 
pictures  were  shown,  the  students  brought  out 
the  plans  which  they  Jaad  been  asked  to  bring, 
and  suggestions  were  made  as  to  the  most  artis- 
tic grouping  of  trees  and  shrubs.  The  next 
morning  the  school  was  organized  and  com- 
mittees appointed  for  specific  parts  of  the  work 
— a  general  committee,  one  to  secure  the  trees, 
another  the  shrubs,  and  another  the  vines.  Na- 
tive trees  and  shrubs  were  generally  used,  as 
they  were  easily  accessible  in  the  woods  near  at 
hand.  The  students  were  deeply  interested  and 
the  work  was  soon  well  under  way. 

An  attempt  was  made  to  improve  the  rather 
dreary  school  grounds  of  a  certain  village. 
Committees  were  appointed  from  the  Village 

52 


IMPROVEMENT  OF  SCHOOL  GROUNDS 

Improvement  Association  to  visit  the  schools 
and  endeavor  to  enlist  the  support  and  coopera- 
tion of  teachers  and  pupils.  The  children  re- 
sponded and  worked  well,  hut  the  results  showed 
that  neither  teachers  nor  children  were  edu- 
cated up  to  an  appreciation  of  the  eternal  fit- 
ness of  things.  In  this  case  familiarity  had 


Rosa  setigera:  Climbing  Rose. 

produced  contempt,  for  instead  of  being  alive 
to  their  opportunities  and  taking  advantage  of 
material  collected  from  woods  and  fields  they 
destroyed  or  disregarded  the  "wild  things" 
and  planted  seeds  that  came  in  paper  packages. 
One  school  was  surrounded  by  a  field  of  the 
most  fascinating  moss-grown  and  lichen-cov- 
ered glacial  boulders.  The  teacher  said  she 

53 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

could  not  do  much,  as  her  place  was  "  full  of 
rocks."  In  meadows  close  by  were  masses  of 
Berberis  vulgaris,  several  varieties  of  Cornels, 
Wild  Roses,  Black  Alder  and  fences  covered 
with  Bittersweet,  Virginia  Creeper,  and  Wild 
Clematis,  which  could  have  been  transplanted, 
producing  artistic  results.  Instead  of  doing 
this  the  children  laboriously  carried  some  of 
the  smaller  boulders,  made  a  pile  of  them,  cov- 
ering it  with  earth  in  which  they  planted  Nas- 
turtiums, Marigolds  and  Balsams.  The  effort 
was  praiseworthy  but  the  results  might  have 
been  more  artistic  and  permanent. 

In  still  another  school  the  teacher  was  most 
enthusiastic  and  anxious  to  improve  her  school 
grounds,  which  were  attractively  located,  sur- 
rounded by  the  beautiful,  undulating  hills  so 
characteristic  of  glaciated  New  England.  The 
back  yard  was  "  burned  over  "  to  destroy  the 
weeds — Sweet  Fern,  Sumach,  Asters  and  Gold- 
enrod,  and  a  clump  of  White  Birches  was  cut 
down.  Oh,  the  unsightly  trunks  of  the  once 
graceful  trees!  The  misguided  teacher  did  not 
appreciate  her  blessings.  In  one  corner  a 
"  rockery  "  had  been  made,  on  which  a  few  weak 
Nasturtium  cotyledons  struggled  toward  the 
light. 

This  school  was  revisited  in  the  autumn. 
The  roadside  for  several  miles  approaching  it 

54 


IMPROVEMENT  OF  SCHOOL  GROUNDS 

formed  a  succession  of  brilliant  pictures.  The 
gorgeous  colors  of  the  Sumach  with  its  deep- 
red  velvety  fruit,  the  ringing  tones  of  the  Gold- 
enrod,  the  more  subdued  notes  of  the  Asters, 
the  vine-covered  stone  fences — all  were  glorified 
by  the  autumn  haze.  A  bend  in  the  road  sud- 
denly brought  the  school  yard  into  view.  The 
contrast !  Once  it  had  been  part  of  a  harmoni- 
ous whole,  but  it  had  been  "  tidied  up  "  in  the 
spring  ready  to  be  improved,  and  only  a  few 
limp  Nasturtiums  were  left  to  tell  the  tale  of 
the  zealous  but  unintelligent  effort. 

In  contrast  to  this  is  one  teacher  who  for 
twenty-two  years  has  had  charge  of  a  school 
with  most  unattractive  surroundings.  Under 
the  direction  of  the  teacher,  within  two  weeks 
after  the  school  had  been  visited,  nineteen  trees 
had  been  transplanted,  a  fern  garden  made, 
shrubs  and  wild  flowers  planted  and  a  screen 
built.  The  children  were  industrious,  and  are 
making  plans  for  next  year's  work.  The  school 
took  the  prize  for  the  best  exhibit.  Success  in 
this  work  can  be  secured  only  by  an  educative 
process. 

Conditions  similar  to  those  described  exist 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 

To  think,  to  talk,  to  write  will  not  suffice. 
Who  is  to  put  the  spade  into  the  ground! 


55 


CHAPTER   V 

BOYS'    GAKDEN 

THIS  garden  was  undertaken  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  Village  Improvement  Association. 
When  it  was  suggested  there  was  not  an  avail- 
able foot  of  land,  not  an  available  dollar,  the 
only  thing  that  existed  being  an  idea,  which  was 
not  received  with  any  degree  of  enthusiasm  by 
the  skeptical  villagers.  To  demonstrate  the  pos- 
sibilities of  such  a  movement,  one  of  the  mem- 
bers volunteered  to  give  a  free  stereopticon 
lecture  on  the  subject,  of  which  another  mem- 
ber assumed  the  expense.  It  was  a  practical 
illustration  of  what  had  been  accomplished  by 
such  work,  and  made  some  converts.  The  Asso- 
ciation secured  permission  from  the  Board  of 
Education  to  visit  the  schools  and  present  the 
subject  to  the  children.  Ten  boys  volunteered 
to  take  gardens. 

This  village  of  two  thousand  inhabitants  is 
fortunate  in  having  the  Lawrence  Playground, 
a  tract  of  seventeen  acres  of  land,  given  to  it 
as  a  memorial.  It  is  delightfully  situated,  with 
space  for  a  baseball  field,  football  gridiron  and 
tennis  and  basket-ball  courts.  The  Commission- 

56 


BOYS'    GARDEN 

ers  of  this  playground  generously  offered  the 
use  of  as  much  of  this  land  as  was  needed  for 
the  garden,  and  twenty-five  dollars  were  con- 
tributed for  tools.  The  Village  Improvement 
Association  had  the  ground  plowed  and  har- 
rowed. Seed  and  manure  were  donated  and  the 
use  of  a  small  barn  for  storing  tools  was  given 


Good  Gardeners,  Boys'  Garden,  Groton,  Mass. 

by  a  farmer  who  was  in  sympathy  with  the 
undertaking.  The  teachers  volunteered  their 
services,  and  when  the  garden  was  a  living 
proposition  and  spoke  for  itself,  fifteen  dollars 
were  given  for  prizes.  When  the  work  began, 
the  plot  was  an  unpromising  piece  of  ground, 
full  of  weeds,  witch-grass,  and  plowed-up  gla- 
cial boulders;  but  the  boys  went  to  work  with 

57 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

a  will  and  soon  brought  order  out  of  chaos. 
Each  boy  was  provided  with  a  hoe,  rake,  spa- 
ding-fork  and  trowel.  The  watering-cans  and 
wheelbarrow  were  for  general  use. 

The  individual  gardens  were  ten  by  ninety 
feet — a  space  which  taxed  the  energies  of  most 
boys  and  was  too  much  for  some,  who  fell  by 
the  wayside.  But  the  interest  was  growing  and 
their  places  were  easily  filled.  The  plan  was 
carefully  drawn  to  a  scale  and  followed  exactly. 
Flowers,  squashes,  lettuce,  radishes,  red  beets, 
turnips,  tomatoes,  beans,  peas,  potatoes  and 
corn  flourished.  Some  of  the  boys  raised  all  of 
the  vegetables  needed  by  their  parents  and  sold 
some  besides. 

The  boys  came  twice  a  week  after  school, 
Monday  and  Thursday,  and  worked  two  hours, 
and  two  days  a  week  during  the  summer.  It 
was  often  difficult  to  have  them  leave  the  garden 
because  they  were  interested.  The  raising  of 
vegetables  was  not  the  primary  interest  in  the 
minds  of  the  instructors ;  it  was  to  give  the  boys 
some  idea  of  the  great  interrelations  in  Nature, 
and  have  them  appreciate  the  forces  at  work 
overcoming  the  hard,  resisting  rock,  changing 
it  into  soil;  the  soil  into  root,  stem,  leaves, 
flowers  and  fruit;  the  plant  into  blood,  muscle, 
bone,  nerve  and  vital  energy ;  the  disintegration 
of  the  organic  and  its  return  into  the  inorganic, 

58 


BOYS'    GARDEN 

All  the  work  was  based  upon  sound  psy- 
chological and  pedagogical  principles.  They 
learned  to  do  by  doing;  proceeded  from  the 
known  to  the  unknown.  Their  curiosity  was 
satisfied  when  their  interest  was  at  white  heat, 
nothing  ever  being  forced  upon  them.  They 
were  instructed  when  the  time  was  opportune 
and  a  desire  for  knowledge  had  been  awakened. 

Taking  out  the  witch-grass  demonstrated 
conclusively  its  mode  of  propagation,  showing 
how  every  particle  must  be  removed  in  order 
to  prevent  its  spreading.  The  removal  of  the 
glacial  boulders  was  a  physical  task  by  no 
means  easy,  and  before  it  was  completed  the 
general  impression  was  that  rocks  grew.  This 
gave  an  opportunity  to  examine  them  and  to 
study  the  difference  in  texture  and  composition 
of  the  granite  rocks,  which  had  been  deposited 
so  abundantly  in  the  glacial  drift  of  New  Eng- 
land and  of  most  of  the  territory  west  and 
north  of  the  Ohio  and  Missouri  Rivers.  It  was 
very  easy  to  relate  the  disintegration  of  these 
rocks  to  the  sand,  gravel  and  clay  of  the  soil, 
and  to  point  out  the  influence  of  the  great  Ice 
Age  upon  the  agricultural  and  industrial  prog- 
ress of  the  region  which  was  glaciated. 

On  one  occasion,  being  storm-bound  in  the 
tool-house,  the  boys,  reluctant  to  go  home, 
begged  the  teacher  for  a  talk.  The  odor  from 

59 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

a  bag  of  commercial  fertilizer,  being  rather  ob- 
trusive, suggested  the  subject — plant-food.  The 
boys  realized  that  they  require  a  varied  diet 
to  sustain  the  different  parts  of  their  bodies,  as 
lime  for  the  bones,  etc.,  and  were  shown  that 
the  same  thing  is  true  of  plants.  Nitrogenous 
food  develops  a  strong,  vigorous  system  of 
leaves  and  stems,  while  potash  and  phosphoric 
acid  intensify  the  colors  of  flowers  and  produce 
plump,  well-developed,  rich  seeds.  Commercial 
fertilizers  are  easily  digested  by  plants.  It  is 
necessary  for  barnyard  manure  to  go  through  a 
decomposing  process  before  it  can  be  reduced 
to  a  soluble  form  available  for  plants.  The 
different  kinds  of  vegetables  growing  in  the 
garden  were  discussed,  and  it  was  decided 
which  would  need  nitrogen,  as  lettuce,  and 
which  would  require  phosphoric  acid,  as  corn, 
beans,  etc.  Roots  of  the  clover,  beans,  and  peas 
were  examined  for  tubercles,  and  the  wonder- 
ful story  of  the  nitrifying  bacteria  told  to  the 
boys.  They  could  understand  the  facts,  but  the 
reasons — they  are  beyond  scientific  men.  The 
relation  of  the  conservation  of  moisture  to 
tillage,  capillarity  in  the  soil,  earth  mulch,  gave 
to  the  soil  a  new  significance. 

While  the  potatoes  were  being  cut  up  for 
planting,  their  storehouses  of  plant-food  and 
their  uses  were  discussed.  Radishes,  beets, 

60 


BOYS'    GARDEN 

carrots  and  turnips  assimilate  their  food  and 
store  the  product  in  the  thickened  root,  to  be 
utilized  for  sending  up  the  flower-stalk  and 
maturing  seed.  It  is  stored  in  stems  and  leaves 
of  celery  and  cabbage  and  in  the  thickened  un- 
derground stems  of  the  potato.  The  annuals, 
as  corn,  beans,  peas,  direct  their  energies  the 
first  year  to  the  maturing  of  seed.  As  soon  as 
the  seeds  are  matured  and  the  little  spark  of 
life  is  protected  and  surrounded  by  assimilated 
food  which  will  be  available  when  conditions 
shall  make  it  necessary,  the  life  and  energy 
pass  on,  the  stem  and  leaves  have  done  their 
work,  they  disintegrate,  the  elements  are  un- 
locked and  return  to  the  earth  and  air  which 
gave  them. 

The  boys  soon  found  that  there  were  other 
things  to  contend  with  besides  weeds  and  witch- 
grass.  There  seemed  to  be  an  insect  for  every 
green  thing  that  appeared  above  the  ground. 
One  day  one  of  the  boys  came  with  a  squash- 
bug.  The  sucking  mouth-parts  were  examined, 
and  another  boy  was  sent  for  a  potato-beetle, 
to  illustrate  insects  with  biting  mouth-parts. 
Opportunity  was  afforded  to  distinguish  be- 
tween them,  and  directions  were  given  for  com- 
bating them.  During  the  summer  the  boys 
learned  to  recognize  over  fifty  insects  and  to 
distinguish  between  the  harmful  and  the  bene- 

61 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

ficial  varieties,  the  best  means  for  combating 
them,  and  also  learned  the  life  histories  of  many. 
Some  took  pride  in  learning  the  scientific  names. 
One  of  the  first  remarks  in  the  garden  this  year 
was,  "  There  is  Clisiocampa  americana  on  your 
dress." 

They  learned  thirty  different  birds  by  color, 
song,  flight,  food  habits,  and  economic  relations 
in  keeping  insects  in  check.  (A  song-sparrow 
nested  this  year  in  a  clump  of  grasses  near  the 
garden  where  the  children  were  passing  con- 
stantly.) 

One  day,  one  of  the  gardeners  presented 
himself  with  a  large  squash-blossom  in  each 
hand,  and  wanted  to  know  what  was  the  matter 
with  his  squash-vine,  as  so  few  of  the  blossoms 
had  squashes  on  them.  All  of  the  gardeners 
were  called  from  their  work  to  hear  the  lesson 
on  cross-pollination.  The  squash-blossom  was 
taken  to  illustrate  insect-pollinated  flowers, 
and  was  compared  with  the  corn,  which  is 
wind-pollinated.  They  learned  also  the  lesson 
that  all  form,  texture  and  arrangement  of 
leaves  is  for  the  purpose  of  securing  and 
assimilating  food  for  the  perfection  of  the 
individual,  and  that  the  beautiful  colors  and 
markings  and  marvelous  forms  of  flowers  are 
for  the  purpose  of  attracting  insects,  thus  pro- 
curing cross-pollination  which  results  in  strong, 

62 


BOYS'    GARDEN 

vigorous  seeds  and  in  the  transmission  of 
strength  and  vigor  necessary  to  the  perpetua- 
tion of  the  species. 

The  successful  work  done  by  the  boys  was 
appreciated,  and  to  reward  and  encourage  their 
efforts  special  prizes  were  offered  by  the  com- 
mittee in  charge,  for  an  exhibit  at  the  Fair  in 
the  autumn.  The  array  of  cabbages,  cucum- 
bers, corn,  potatoes,  tomatoes,  radishes,  beets 
—proved  that  the  garden  was  not  a  myth,  but 
a  legitimate  outlet  for  the  often  misdirected 
energies  of  boys.  A  contribution  that  attracted 
most  attention  from  the  farmers  was  a  case  that 
contained  fifty-three  mounted  insects,  which 
had  been  found  in  the  garden  during  the  sum- 
mer, and  which  were  labeled  "  harmful,"  or 
"  beneficial." 

The  boys  were  invited  to  a  beautiful  flower- 
garden  in  the  village  for  the  purpose  of  being 
taught  to  make  cuttings  from  different  plants 
and  were  shown  how  to  root  them  in  sand,  pot 
them,  and  care  for  them  during  the  winter. 

A  flower-show  was  held  in  the  autumn,  which 
sustained  the  interest.  In  March  it  was  an- 
nounced that  any  child  who  wanted  a  Chrysan- 
themum plant  could  have  one  by  coming  to  the 
boys'  club-rooms  on  a  certain  day  and  bringing 
a  flower-pot.  Three  hundred  newly  rooted  cut- 
tings of  choice  varieties  donated  for  the  pur- 

63 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

pose  were  distributed.  Instructions  in  repot- 
ting, feeding,  training  and  disbudding  taught 
the  children  how  to  care  for  them  and  have 
them  in  good  condition  for  a  Chrysanthemum 
show,  in  November.  Boys'  and  Girls'  Clubs 
were  organized  in  the  autumn  for  some  work 
in  Arts  and  Crafts.  At  the  May  Party  there 
was  an  exhibition  and  sale  of  the  work  done  by 
the  children  during  the  winter,  and  part  of  the 
proceeds  were  devoted  to  defraying  the  ex- 
penses of  the  gardens  the  following  summer, 
forty  of  them,  each  ten  by  sixty  feet — thirty  for 
boys  and  ten  for  girls. 


64 


CHAPTER  VI 

PLAN    OF    A    GAKDEN 

FOE  purposes  of  convenience,  it  is  desir- 
able to  have  the  garden  adjoining  the  school, 
in  order  to  secure  the  greatest  good  to  the 
greatest  number.  The  typical  school-yard  soil 
is  not  conducive  to  luxuriant  vegetable  growth 
and  will  probably  have  to  be  replaced  by  some 
good  light  sandy  loam,  as  sandy  or  clay  soils 
require  careful  treatment.  The  soil  may  be  all 
that  is  desired,  but  if  there  is  no  water-supply 
the  plant-food  is  not  available.  The  success  of 
the  garden  will  depend  largely  upon  the  con- 
venience and  the  abundance  of  the  water-supply. 

The  size  of  the  garden  depends  upon  local 
conditions — the  number  of  sections  and  the 
number  of  children.  Each  child  should  have  an 
individual  plot  in  the  vegetable  garden.  A 
space  ten  by  thirty-five  feet  affords  a  child 
plenty  of  occupation  and  enables  him  to  have 
a  rich  reward  for  his  labors.  Such  an  allotment 
would  be  impossible  in  a  city  district — three  by 
six  is  usually  the  average  there. 

To  be  of  the  highest  educative  value,  the 
6  65 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

work  must  be  progressive.  An  active,  ambi- 
tious, intelligent  boy  would  tire  of  raising  rad- 
ishes year  after  year,  if  there  were  nothing  in 
it  but  raising  radishes.  But  if  he  is  led  to 
realize  the  relation  of  the  roots  to  the  soil;  the 
arrangement  of  the  leaves  for  catching  the  sun- 
light and  shedding  the  rain;  the  assimilation 
of  nutrition  and  the  storing  of  the  food  in  the 
root;  the  using  of  the  food  store  in  the  root  for 
the  production  of  the  blossom  and  the  matur- 
ing of  the  seed;  the  effect  of  the  perfect  work 
done  by  the  plant  upon  the  next  generation  of 
plants;  the  results  of  blight  and  insects  upon 
the  plants  and  the  transmission  of  weakness 
and  disease — if  the  raising  of  a  radish  means 
that  to  a  boy,  he  has  learned  lessons  of  vital 
importance — lessons  that  will  influence  him  all 
his  life. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  define  the  limits  of 
the  garden.  If  it  is  for  protection,  a  close  wire 
fence  covered  with  vines  will  serve  the  purpose 
and  enhance  the  beauty  of  the  garden.  A  hedge 
always  lends  a  charm  and  there  are  so  many 
quick-growing  desirable  shrubs  that  a  hedge  is 
easily  secured. 

The  plan  of  the  garden  requires  the  greatest 
consideration.  Generally  the  space  is  so  small 
that  to  go  into  landscape-garden  effects  is  im- 
possible, and  the  best  results  are  secured  by 

66 


PLAN    OF    A    GARDEN 

adhering  to   a  more   formal  and   symmetrical 
treatment. 

From  the  practical  standpoint,  what  would 
meet  the  demands  of  a  rural  school  would  be 
useless  in  a  city.  It  is  necessary  to  study  local 
conditions  in  order  to  secure  the  best  practical 
results.  As  for  the  educative  side,  the  life  his- 
tory of  the  plants  may  be  as  effectually  learned 
from  the  study  of  a  burdock  or  a  dandelion  as 
from  the  study  of  a  tree. 

The  plan  here  submitted  may  be  used  in  its 
entirety  if  the  space  permit,  or  be  suggestive  as 
a  plan,  which  may  be  adapted  to  various  con- 
ditions. 

The  planting  of  trees  and  making  of  lawns 
are  most  important.  Hedges  for  screens  and  for 
the  defining  of  boundaries  are  coming  more  into 
favor  and  should  be  encouraged. 

There  are  great  possibilities  in  a  shrub  bor- 
der. A  judicious  selection  of  shrubs  may  serve 
as  a  screen  to  obliterate  unsightly  objects  and 
harmonize  the  whole  plantation.  A  succession 
of  blooming  from  early  spring  until  late  autumn 
is  possible,  as  are  also  charming  effects  in 
texture  of  foliage  from  the  delicate  gray  greens 
of  the  early  spring  through  the  rich  greens  of 
the  summer  to  the  gorgeous  autumnal  tones  of 
scarlet,  orange,  reds,  bronzes  and  purples.  The 
tones  of  the  foliage  are  enlivened  or  subdued 

67 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

by  the  richness  of  the  scarlet,  white,  blue  or 
deep  purple  of  the  fruit.  The  color  scheme  may 
be  continued  through  the  winter  by  a  judicious 


A  Home  Garden  in  May,  Washington,  D.  C. 

grouping  of  the  shrubs,  whose  winter  stems  are 
brilliant  in  bright  red,  yellow,  vivid  green,  pur- 
ple and  rich  brown ;  the  whole  border  will  then 
seem  enveloped  in  a  haze  of  composite  color 
of  twigs,  with  here  and  there  a  dominant  note, 
that  accentuates  and  gives  character  to  the 
composition. 

A  school  garden  to  accomplish  its  purpose 
must  be  broad  in  its  influence.     All  plans,  op- 

68 


PLAN  OF  A  GARDEN 

erations  and  instructions  must  take  into  con- 
sideration the  home  of  every  child;  he  should 
in  the  garden  find  something  which  he  can  cul- 


The  Same  Garden  in  August. 

tivate  in  a  small  way  at  his  own  home;  it  may 
be  a  flower-garden  on  a  fire-escape,  a  straw- 
berry vine  in  a  tin  can.  He  will  have  received 
an  impetus  and  a  love  for  "  green  things 
growing." 

An  herbaceous  border  is  easily  made  and 
gives  opportunities  for  children  to  revel  in 
color.  Perennials  are  most  satisfactory,  for 
they  take  care  of  themselves  and  increase  rap- 

69 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

idly.  This  fact  especially  commends  itself  to 
village  and  rural  schools. 

In  small  city  and  town  lots,  where  herba- 
ceous and  shrub  borders  are  not  possible,  some 
suggestions  for  a  small  formal  garden  are  im- 
portant. This  requires  great  consideration, 
care  and  good  taste  in  the  selection  and  arrange- 
ment of  plants  and  the  securing  of  artistic  color 
effects.  This  style  of  gardening  appeals  very 
strongly  to  some  persons  and  is  capable  of 
producing  satisfying  results. 

Most  children  are  very  ignorant  of  the  wealth 
and  beauty  of  our  native  flora.  A  garden  of 
wild  flowers  arranged  according  to  systematic 
classification  gives  much  important  informa- 
tion; inculcates  an  appreciation  of  the  rare  and 
fast  disappearing  species  and  engenders  a  feel- 
ing of  protection  and  stewardship. 

The  vegetable  garden  is  most  practical.  It 
develops  responsibility  of  ownership  and  re- 
spect for  the  rights  of  others.  It  also  encour- 
ages children  to  become  producers. 

For  general  information,  the  experimental 
beds  containing  food,  fibrous,  medicinal  and 
common  poisonous  plants  grown  under  different 
conditions  of  soil,  present  some  problems  on  the 
economic  side  of  gardening. 

Budding,  grafting,  pruning  and  other  prac- 
tical lessons  given  in  the  nursery  make  students 

70 


PLAN   OF   A   GAKDEN 

skilful  in  caring  for  their  own  trees  and  shrubs, 
and  open  a  way  to  remunerative  occupations. 
The  work  is  all  wholesome  and  conducive  to 
making  better,  stronger  boys  and  girls  and 
more  industrious,  law-abiding  citizens.' 


71 


CHAPTER  VII 

HEDGES 

DECIDUOUS  shrubs,  as  a  rule,  make  more 
satisfactory  hedges  than  evergreens,  because 
they  can  better  endure  the  unnatural  conditions 
to  which  hedge  plants  are  subjected.  It  is  im- 
portant to  use  hardy,  carefully  selected  plants 
in  making  a  hedge,  as  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  repair  an  old  hedge  by  setting  in  new  plants. 

Hemlock,  Norway  and  White  Spruce,  and 
Arborvitae  make  excellent  hedges,  and  prove 
quite  hardy  where  the  winters  are  rigorous.  A 
tall,  slender  evergreen  hedge  is  best  formed 
of  American  Arborvitae,  and  a  dense,  bushy 
hedge  of  Norway  Spruce.  The  Hemlock  makes 
the  most  beautiful  and  graceful  hedge,  and  is 
especially  adapted  to  dry  and  stony  ground- 
conditions  which  are  most  often  met  with  in 
school  grounds. 

Box  is  most  desirable  for  low  borders  of 
walks,  but  is  expensive.  Ligustrum  ovalifo- 
lium,  California  Privet,  is  most  highly  prized 
of  all  ornamental  hedge  plants*.  It  has  been 
considered  so  desirable  for  use  in  hedges,  be- 

72 


HEDGES 

cause  of  its  fine  growth  and  almost  evergreen 
habit.  It  is  not  entirely  hardy  in  New  Eng- 
land, and  many  hedges  are  destroyed  by  severe 
frost. 

Herberts  thunbergii  —  Purple-Leaved  Bar- 
berry— is  one  of  the  most  attractive  and  popular 
hedge  plants,  but  it  has  been  used  so  generally 
in  parks  that  it  has  lost  the  charm  of  novelty. 
It  has,  however,  many  good  qualities  to  recom- 
mend it  to  consideration.  The  plants  grow  ex- 
tremely thick  right  from  the  ground,  and  require 
very  little  pruning  to  keep  them  in  shape.  The 
branches  are  pendulous,  covered  with  clusters 
of  small,  light-green  leaves,  which  in  the  au- 
tumn assume  a  brilliant  scarlet.  Its  beauty  in 
the  spring  is  enhanced  by  clusters  of  yellow 
blossoms,  giving  place  to  masses  of  bright 
scarlet  berries,  which  remain  nearly  all  winter. 

Hibiscus  syriacus  —  Rose-of-Sharon  —  lends 
itself  to  hedge-making.  It  has  the  merit  of 
blooming  in  August  and  September,  a  season 
when  few  other  shrubs  are  in  flower.  It  is  re- 
markably free  from  fungous  diseases  and  the 
attacks  of  insects. 

Cydonia  japonica — Japan  Quince — is  espe- 
cially desirable  on  account  of  its  good  habits 
and  handsome  foliage.  In  the  early  spring  the 
hedge  is  aflame,  and  in  summer  the  reddish 
tinge  of  the  new  leaves  affords  an  unusually 

73 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

fine  display  of  color.  The  bronze  tones  of  the 
coloring  continue  the  charm  in  the  autumn. 
Aphids  attack  the  tips  of  the  young  shoots,  but 


Cydonia  japonica:   Japan  Quince.     Hedge  partly  trimmed. 

these  are  removed  when  the  hedge  is  trimmed  in 
the  summer. 

Buckthorn,  Hawthorn,  Honey-Locust,  Horn- 
beam, and  Osage  Orange  are  extensively  used 
for  defensive  hedges. 

The  preparation  of  the  soil  in  which  a  hedge 
is  to  be  set  consists  in  thoroughly  plowing,  cul- 
tivating, and  enriching  an  area  six  feet  wide 
and  the  length  of  the  proposed  hedge.  The 
plants,  properly  trimmed,  root  and  top,  are  set 
in  a  single  row,  nine  inches  apart,  in  a  trench 

74 


HEDGES 

or  furrow  through  the  center,  wide  enough  to 
admit  the  roots  without  bending.  Growth  is 
facilitated  by  having  a  quantity  of  good  top- 
soil  carefully  firmed  about  the  roots  of  the 
plants,  and  well-rotted  stable  manure  worked 
in  with  the  soil  in  the  trench. 

Evergreens  should  be  pruned  in  spring,  just 
before  they  commence  growing.  In  clipping 
hedges  of  Hemlock,  Spruce,  and  Arborvitae  into 
formal  shape  they  should  be  cut  with  sides  slo- 
ping to  an  apex,  so  as  to  be  wider  at  the  bottom 
than  at  the  top.  Thus  the  lower  branches  get 
more  light  and  air  than  they  would  if  the  sides 
were  perpendicular,  and  they  would  not  be  so 
likely  to  lose  their  leaves  and  die. 

Pruning  of  deciduous  hedges  is  most  easily 
done  in  July,  when  the  shoots  are  young  and 
tender.  A  flat-topped  hedge,  although  very 
good  form,  is  liable  to  injury  from  a  weight  of 
snow ;  consequently,  a  Gothic  arch  or  triangular 
outline  is  more  desirable. 

A  hedge  always  lends  dignity  and  privacy 
to  a  garden.  It  may  serve  many  purposes — as 
an  attractive  approach  to  a  building;  as  a  pro- 
tection to  the  lawn;  as  a  screen  for  unsightly 
objects;  and  as  a  good  background  for  foliage 
masses,  bright  flowers,  brilliant  fruits  and 
stems  of  shrub  borders. 


75 


CHAPTER   VIII 

PLANTING    NEAR   A   BUILDING 

GENERALLY  dwarf  evergreen  trees  or  shrubs 
produce  most  pleasing  effects  near  the  base  of 
a  building.  Greens  harmonize  with  any  color 
of  stone,  brick  or  paint.  Box,  ArborvitaB,  Yews, 
and  any  of  the  numerous  horticultural  varieties 
of  evergreens  are  desirable. 

When  conditions  of  soil  and  climate  are 
right,  nothing  exceeds  Ehododendrons  and 
Kalmias  for  massive  evergreen  effects.  The 
leaves  are  so  rich  and  beautiful,  and  the  flow- 
ers so  abundant  and  effective,  that  a  better 
selection  could  not  be  made.  They  thrive  nat- 
urally in  woods  where  the  soil  is  rich  in  organic 
matter,  almost  entirely  leaf-mold,  the  roots 
growing  very  near  the  surface.  Ordinary  gar- 
den soil,  especially  that  containing  lime,  would 
be  fatal.  The  ground  must  be  carefully  pre- 
pared and  the  surface  heavily  mulched  with 
leaf-mold. 

In  front  of  the  Kalmias  and  Rhododendrons 
mass  Andromeda  (Pieris)  floribunda.  It  is  ex- 
cellent for  irregular  borders  and  for  screening 
plants  that  are  apt  to  become  "  leggy."  The 

76 


PLANTING    NEAR    A    BUILDING 

foliage  is  evergreen  and  in  the  early  spring  the 
plants  are  covered  with  a  mass  of  white,  bell- 
like  flowers.  Mahonia,  or  Berberis  aqui folium,  is 
good  throughout  the  year.  The  masses  of 
bright-yellow  flowers  among  the  new,  glossy 
growth  of  leaves  are  most  attractive  in  the 
early  spring ;  the  foliage  is  a  rich  green  all  sum- 


Andromeda  (Pieris)  floribunda:  Andromeda. 

mer,  and  the  autumnal  and  winter  coloring  of 
rich,  dull  red,  greens  and  bronzes  is  unexcelled. 
The  exquisitely  beautiful  and  fragrant 
Daphne  cneorum  is  one  of  the  most  attractive 
flowering  shrubs ;  it  is  of  dwarf  habit,  from  one 
to  two  feet  high,  and  evergreen.  In  the  spring 
a  border  of  it  is  a  mass  of  delicate  rose-pink 
flowers  of  delicious  perfume. 

77 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

A  colony  of  dwarf  evergreens,   or  one   of 

Rhododendron,  Kalmia,  Andromeda,  Mahonia, 

Daphne,  would  be  permanent  and  satisfactory. 

California    Privet,    Ligustrum     ovali folium, 

trimmed  to  a  foot  or  a  foot  and  a  half  makes 


Daphne  cneorum:  Daphne. 

an  excellent  hedge  for  bordering  walks  and  pro- 
tecting lawns.  A  Hemlock  hedge  is  possibly 
the  best  background  for  a  shrub  border,  but  as 
it  is  of  slow  growth,  another  may  be  sub- 
stituted, as  a  tall  Privet  hedge  or  Arborvitae. 
Althea  makes  an  excellent  screen  and  could  be 
used  with  good  effect  to  separate  the  garden  and 
playground. 

For  the  sides  of  the  garden  a  wire  or  board 
fence,  a  covering  of  quick-growing  vines,  as 
Ampelopsis  quinquefolia,  Ampelopsis  veitchii, 

78 


PLANTING   NEAR   A   BUILDING 

English  Ivy,  Morning-Glories,  Cypress- Vine, 
Wild  Clematis,  Wild  Cucumber,  Rosa  wichu- 
raiana,  Rosa  setigera,  white,  crimson  or  yellow 
Rambler,  supplied  with  rich  soil,  will  produce  a 
beautiful  effect. 

The  Pergola,  an  arbor  planned  to  separate 
the  arboretum  from  the  vegetable  garden,  can 
be  made  an  attractive  feature  of  the  plantation. 
It  need  not  be  expensive,  but  may  be  made  out  of 


An  Arbor. 

unhewn  trunks  of  trees  for  uprights,  and  smaller 
trees  for  crossbeams,  and  in  the  spring  may  be  a 
mass  of  pendant  white  and  lilac  Wistaria.  Later 
the  June  roses  come;  in  August  the  Trumpet 

79 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

flower;  in  September,  the  Clematis  paniculata; 
and  during  the  winter  the  orange  and  red  ber- 
ries of  the  Bittersweet.  The  planting  may  be 
done  so  as  to  afford  shade  throughout  the  sum- 
mer and  a  succession  of  blooming  from  early 
spring  to  late  autumn. 

Material  for  shrub  borders  is  so  abundant 
and  so  satisfactory  that  the  temptation  to  select 
a  great  variety  of  shrubs  and  thus  destroy  the 
unity  and  harmony  of  the  whole  is  very  strong. 
Effective  shrubs  are  the  Viburnums,  Cornels, 
Spiraeas,  with  Forsythia  for  a  touch  of  gold  in 
the  early  spring ;  a  Weigela  rosea  for  a  flush  of 
pink  for  the  later  spring ;  and  Hydrangea  panicu- 
lata grandiflora  for  late  summer  and  autumn 
blooming.  Some  of  the  best  Cornels  are  Cornus 
paniculata,  Cornus  stolonifera,  Cornus  amomum, 
Cornus  florida.  They  bloom  at  different  times 
and  have  different  colored  stems  and  fruit. 

Viburnum  opulus,  Viburnum  opulus  sterilis 
—common  Snowball — Viburnum  tomentosum, 
and  Viburnum  tomentosum  plicatum — Japanese 
Snowball — Viburnum  lentago,  and  Viburnum 
dilatatum  are  beautiful  in  flower  and  fruit.  Of 
the  Spiraeas,  select  Spircea  vanhouttei  for  masses 
of  flowers;  Spircea  thunbergii  for  early  bloom- 
ing and  lightness  of  foliage;  Spircea  prunifolia 
for  wreaths  of  white  blossoms  and  especially 
for  the  color  and  texture  of  its  foliage.  Ber- 

80 


PLANTING   NEAR   A   BUILDING 

beris  thunbergii  has  drooping  habits  of  growth 
and  is  valuable  as  a  border  and  a  screen  for 
the  ground.  It  assumes  the  most  brilliant  and 
most  gorgeous  autumnal  coloring,  which  is  suc- 
ceeded by  the  brilliancy  of  the  abundant  red 
berries,  which  remain  on  the  shrub  all  winter. 


81 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE   FORMAL   GARDEN 

THE  making  of  the  lawn,  the  planting  of 
trees  and  shrubs,  the  setting  of  hedges  are  more 
for  decorative  than  for  educative  purposes. 
Through  planning  and  executing  a  formal  garden 
the  children  will  realize  the  possibilities  and  limi- 
tations of  a  small  plot  of  ground.  The  training 
and  incentive  received  from  such  an  experience 
will  tend  to  manifest  themselves  in  the  improve- 
ment of  their  own  home  grounds,  and  thus  a  pleas- 
ant relation  will  be  established  between  the  school 
and  the  home. 

The  plan  should  aim  to  secure  a  succession 
of  blooming;  harmonious  effects  in  texture  of 
foliage  and  color  of  flowers ;  a  balance  of  parts ; 
repose  and  dignity  of  the  whole.  A  plot  of 
ground  fifty  feet  square  is  sufficient  space  in 
which  to  do  some  interesting  work  and  to  secure 
some  good  effects. 

The  accompanying  plan  suggests  a  possible 
garden.  A  border  of  sod  one  foot  wide,  extend- 
ing all  around  the  plot,  defines  the  garden.  Two 
five-foot  gravel  paths  divide  the  garden  into 

82 


THE    FORMAL    GARDEN 


four  equal  squares,  admitting  of  easy  access 
into  the  interior  of  the  garden.  When  the  plant- 
ing begins,  set  in  the  sod  hundreds  of  Crocus 
conns,  which  will  respond  to  the  first  warm  breath 


Diagram  of  the  Formal  Garden. 


1.  Yucca  fllamentosa 

2.  Gladioli 

3.  Asters 

4.  Poppies 

5.  Asters 

6.  German  and  Japanese  Iris 

7.  Foxgloves 

8.  Phlox 

9.  Anemone  japonica 

10.  Larkspurs 

11.  Canterbury  Bells 

12.  Columbine 


13.  Snapdragons 

14.  Heliotrope 

15.  Jonquils,  Narcissi,  and  Pansies 

16.  Hyacinths  and  Pansies 

17.  Sod  and  Crocuses 

18.  Tulips  and  Peonies 

19.  Calendula  and  Mignonette 

20.  Yellow  Pansies 

21.  Sun-Dial 

22.  Yellow  Pansies 

23.  White  Lupins 

24.  Larkspurs. 


83 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

of  the  early  spring,  making  the  garden  a  place 
of  cheer  and  delight. 

In  the  center  of  the  garden  a  circle  five  feet 
in  diameter  is  reserved  for  the  sun-dial.  Around 
its  base  plant  Calendula,  which  will  be  a  mass 
of  brilliant  orange  in  the  late  summer  and 
autumn,  and  masses  of  Mignonette.  Border 
this  bed  with  yellow  Pansies.  Repeat  the  yel- 
low Pansy  border  on  the  inner  edge  of  the  large, 
central,  circular  bed.  This  bed,  which  is  three 
feet  wide,  devote  to  pink,  white,  yellow,  and 
dark-red  Tulips,  to  be  succeeded  by  white,  pink, 
and  dark-red  Peonies.  When  the  bed  is  once 
properly  made  it  need  not  be  disturbed  for  a 
long  time,  and  will  increase  in  beauty.  The 
foliage  of  the  Peonies  is  clean,  vigorous,  attract- 
ive, free  from  disease  and  insects,  and  will  pro- 
duce a  restful  area  of  green  in  the  center  of  the 
garden  in  pleasing  contrast  with  the  succession 
of  color  during  the  summer. 

Plant  a  good  specimen  of  Yucca  filamentosa 
— Spanish  Bayonet — in  the  center  of  each  small 
area.  It  is  stiff  and  formal  in  its  growth,  in 
keeping  with  the  plan.  In  three  of  the  corners 
put  German  Iris  for  May  and  June,  and  Japa- 
nese Iris  for  July.  The  colors  are  so  exqui- 
sitely beautiful  now,  and  even  after  blooming, 
the  spear-like  leaves  of  the  plant  produce  effect- 
ive contrasts  in  texture  of  foliage  with  other 

84 


THE    FOEMAL   GABDEN 

plants.  Near  the  Iris  plant  a  clump  of  Lilies, 
some  of  the  best  being  Lilium  auratum,  Lilium 
candidum,  Lilium  speciosum  rubrum  and  album, 
and  Lilium  longiflorum.  These  will  bloom  all 
summer.  On  either  side  of  the  Iris  plant  a 
clump  of  Phlox,  pink  and  white,  avoiding  the 
dull  reds  which  produce  a  discordant  note  in  the 
garden.  They  grow  from  two  to  four  feet,  and 
will  bloom  from  July  until  frost  if  the  heads  are 
cut  off  after  blooming. 

Inside  of  the  grass  border  prepare  a  bed  a 
foot  wide,  in  which  set  bulbs  of  Narcissi,  Daf- 
fodils, and  Hyacinths. 

Border  the  main  paths  through  the  garden 
with  Daffodils  which  bloom  in  April,  and  Nar- 
cissi which  bloom  in  May.  The  Hyacinths  can 
be  put  around  the  outside  of  the  garden.  This 
bed,  bordered  with  Pansies  of  all  colors,  will 
produce  a  profusion  of  blossoms,  which  the 
children  can  pick  freely,  as  the  beauty  of  the 
bed  will  deteriorate  as  soon  as  the  seeds  begin 
to  mature. 

When  the  bulbous  plants  have  passed  their 
prime,  and  the  weather  is  warm  enough,  fill  the 
bed  with  Heliotrope.  The  color  is  good,  the 
perfume  delicious,  and  the  blooming  continuous 
until  autumn.  It  is  a  good  plant  from  which  to 
make  cuttings;  it  roots  easily,  and  the  children 
can  propagate  it  for  their  own  gardens. 

85 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

One  of  the  most  successful  and  satisfactory 
bloomers  is  the  Anemone  japonica  alba.  It  is 
hardy  in  the  Northern  States  and  blooms  from 
September  until  frost.  It  requires  rich  soil  to 
bring  it  to  its  highest  perfection,  and  is  easily 
propagated  by  root-cuttings,  even  the  strong 
fibrous  roots  producing  plants  which  will  prob- 
ably bloom  the  following  year. 

New  and  good  things  constantly  introduced 
into  the  garden,  and  means  of  propagation 
taught,  will  enable  the  children  to  become  fa- 
miliar with  the  most  desirable  plants  and  their 
methods  of  culture  and  perpetuation.  When 
the  beds  are  rearranged  in  the  autumn,  and 
masses  of  plants  separated  for  replanting, 
there  will  be  hundreds  of  plants  to  be  given 
away,  which  the  children  will  receive  with  in- 
telligent interest  and  sufficient  knowledge  to 
care  for  them  properly. 

Clumps  of  Digitalis  —  Foxgloves  —  planted 
near  the  Peonies  will  send  up  their  tall  and 
graceful  spikes  during  June  and  July,  and 
make  an  attractive,  effective  accent  for  the  cen- 
ter of  the  garden.  Plant  Canterbury  Bells  in 
the  opposite  sides.  Within  this  area  mass 
White  Lupins,  Delphinium — Larkspur — Antir- 
rhinum— Snapdragon — and  Aquilegia — Colum- 
bine. 

Shirley  Poppies  and  Carnation  Poppies  will 
86 


THE  FORMAL  GARDEN 

produce  a  wilderness  of  bloom  all  summer. 
New  varieties  of  Gladioli  corms,  planted  at 
different  times,  will  produce  a  succession  of 
blooming. 

Many  of  the  perennials  and  biennials  lose 
their  beauty  early  in  the  season,  and  it  is  well 
to  prepare  for  the  autumn  blooming. 

Dahlias  come  in  such  fine  variety  of  form 
and  color  and  are  so  decorative  that  clumps 
planted  between  the  Phlox  and  Lilies  will  add 
character  to  the  garden,  when  other  plants  no 
longer  charm. 

The  blossoms  of  the  Asters  are  desirable  in 
the  autumn;  and  during  late  September  and 
early  October  the  attraction  of  the  garden  will 
be  enhanced  by  a  profusion  of  choice  pink  and 
white  varieties.  Seedlings  can  be  planted  in 
every  vacant  spot  in  the  spring,  and  as  the 
flowers  pass  the  plants  can  be  cut  down,  giving 
the  Asters  space  for  development. 

The  suggestions  for  this  garden  include 
tones  of  green,  yellow,  white,  lavender,  and 
pink,  with  a  dash  of  darker  color  in  the  Dahlias. 
Other  combinations  of  red,  orange,  and  blue 
will  suggest  themselves,  and  be  expressive  of 
individual  taste. 


87 


CHAPTER   X 

HEKBACEOUS   BOKDEK 

SOME  school  grounds  are  so  limited  and  the 
conditions  such  that  it  is  not  possible  to  attempt 
anything  more  than  an  herbaceous  border.  Noth- 
ing, however,  would  afford  greater  returns  for 
the  labor  than  the  annuals,  biennials,  and  peren- 
nials which  are  now  to  be  secured  in  such  beau- 
tiful forms  and  such  varied  and  satisfactory 
colors.  The  proper  place  for  such  a  border  is 
against  a  fence,  or  planted  to  screen  outbuild- 
ings, ash-heaps,  or  anything  that  is  unsightly. 
The  best  effect  is  produced  against  a  back- 
ground of  green.  Either  cover  the  fence  or 
building  with  some  quick-growing  vine,  as  Am- 
pelopsis  quinquefolia — Virginia  Creeper — Eng- 
lish Ivy,  Clematis  paniculata,  or  plant  shrubs 
of  rapid  growth  and  good  luxuriant  foliage,  as 
Syringa,  Lilac,  Buckthorn,  Spircea  prunifolia — 
Bridal  Wreath — or  any  of  the  many  desirable 
shrubs  that  are  suggested  for  the  nursery. 

The  space  to  be  occupied  should  be  thor- 
oughly cultivated  and  heavily  enriched  before 
planting  in  order  to  produce  the  most  perfect 

88 


HERBACEOUS    BORDER 

types  of  plants  and  most  profuse  blooming. 
Wood-ashes  added  to  the  soil  will  accentuate 
and  intensify  the  colors  of  the  flowers. 

There  is  a  difference  of  opinion  and  taste 
as  to  the  arrangement  of  plants  in  a  border  and 
the  form  of  the  border.  One  three  to  five  feet 


Clematis  paniculata:  Clematis.     Suggestion  for  a  Piazza. 

wide  produces  best  effects  when  the  edge  is 
straight  and  the  plants  in  rows.  A  wider  bor- 
der loses  its  stiffness  when  the  edge  is  varied 
by  irregular,  undulating  curves. 

A  successful  planting  results  in  harmony  of 
color  and  profusion  of  bloom  from  May  until 
November. 

The  plan  requires  careful  consideration. 
89 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

Select  and  dispose  of  perennials  first,  as  their 
place  in  the  border  is  permanent  and  they  need 
not  be  disturbed.  Biennials  will  have  to  be  re- 
newed every  two  years,  and  annuals  every 
spring. 

The  color  scheme  is  all-important.  Children 
are  more  unconsciously  sensitive  to  color  than 
is  realized,  and  although  the  combination  of 
color  may  be  brilliant  and  stimulating,  it  must 
not  be  discordant.  Many  color  schemes  will 
suggest  themselves.  It  is  possible  to  have  deli- 
cate pink,  lavender,  blue,  and  white  in  the 
spring,  giving  place  to  brilliant  and  gorgeous 
effects  of  scarlet,  yellow,  orange,  and  purple  in 
the  autumn. 

The  tallest  plants  reserve  for  the  back- 
ground —  Goldenrod,  Asters,  Boltonia,  False 
Chamomile,  Rudbeckia,  Golden  Glow,  and  white 
Cosmos  for  autumn  blooming.  In  front  of 
these  plant  a  row  of  Dahlias — deep,  rich  colors 
of  the  single,  large,  and  double  pompon  and 
cactus  varieties.  Then  plant  a  row  of  double 
pink,  and  white,  and  single  yellow  Hollyhocks. 
In  front  of  this  a  row  of  Foxgloves  and  Canter- 
bury Bells.  Among  the  Hollyhocks  plant  seed- 
ling Salvias,  and  among  the  Foxgloves  and  Can- 
terbury Bells  white  Asters.  Border  the  bed 
with  Shirley  and  California  Poppies,  white 
Lupins,  and  Mignonette.  Cut  the  Hollyhocks 

90 


HERBACEOUS    BOEDER 

down  as  soon  as  they  cease  blooming,  and  give 
the  Salvias  space  and  opportunity  for  late 
summer  and  autumn  blooming.  The  Foxgloves 
and  Canterbury  Bells  will  give  place  to  the 
Asters.  The  white  Lupins  bloom  before  the 
Poppies  are  ready,  and  the  California  Poppies 
and  Mignonette  are  good  until  frost. 

Long  rows  of  plants  are  very  good,  but  are 
apt  to  become  monotonous  unless  broken  up. 
A  large  clump  of  pink  and  white  Peonies  would 
be  a  charming  relief  for  one  place,  and  a  mass 
of  white  Phlox  and  light  and  dark  perennial 
Larkspurs  in  another.  A  mass  of  Ricinus,  or 
Castor-Oil  Plant,  with  dark  purplish-red  foli- 
age, grouped  with  Salpiglossis — brilliant,  crim- 
son, scarlet,  netted  with  golden  yellow — would 
give  a  decided  note  in  the  border.  Another 
effective  group  is  a  clump  of  Cannas  with  large 
massive  foliage  of  rich  bronze  purple,  and 
a  mass  of  Tritoma,  the  "  Red-Hot  Poker" 
plant. 

There  is  so  much  excellent  material  and  the 
plants  multiply  so  rapidly  that  if  good  judg- 
ment is  used  in  the  selection  of  plants  and  seeds, 
the  border  may  be  enlarged  from  year  to  year, 
or  the  plants  separated  and  distributed  among 
the  children. 

Perennials  give  by  far  the  greatest  satisfac- 
tion, for  when  they  are  once  in  the  ground,  and 

91 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

given  plenty  of  food,  they  need  very  little  fur- 
ther care.  They  also  have  the  merit  of  very 
early  blooming. 

Seeds  of  biennials  must  be  planted  every  year, 
as  the  plants  die  after  the  second  year.  Annuals 
are  very  profuse,  but  not  early  bloomers. 

The  profusely  illustrated  catalogues  annu- 
ally published  by  the  most  reliable  floral  com- 
panies are  full  of  interesting  and  practical  in- 
formation. 

LIST    OF    PLANTS    DESIRABLE    FOR    AN    HERBACEOUS 
BORDER 

Antirrhinum — Snapdragon.  Half-hardy  per- 
ennial ;  showy  spikes  of  pure  yellow,  bright  scar- 
let, garnet,  rose-pink,  and  snow-white;  two  to 
three  feet. 

Aquilegia — Columbine.  Hardy  perennial, 
thriving  in  moist  soil;  unique,  graceful  flowers 
in  white,  rich  blue,  yellow,  delicate  azure ;  foliage 
exceedingly  good;  one  and  a  half  to  three  feet; 
May. 

Asters.  Annuals  for  autumn,  prolific,  and 
continuous  blooming;  "Purity,"  glistening  pure 
white,  and  "  Daybreak,"  shell-pink ;  one  to  two 
feet. 

Calendula.  Dwarf,  bushy  annual,  blooming 
abundantly  until  frost ;  "  Orange  King "  and 
"  Lemon  King  "  are  excellent  varieties. 

92 


HERBACEOUS    BOEDER 

Coreopsis.  Hardy  garden  plant;  large,  rich, 
orange-yellow  flowers  during  summer;  two  to 
three  feet. 

Calliopsis.  "  King,"  dwarf,  yellow,  golden, 
and  crimson  with  garnet  eye ;  two  feet. 

Candytuft.  "  Empress,"  white,  good  for  bor- 
ders and  edgings;  dwarf  annual;  blooms  all 
season;  twelve  inches. 

Delphinium — Larkspur.  Magnificent  hardy 
garden  plant ;  six  to  ten  feet ;  color  ranging  from 
pure  white,  delicate  lavender  to  deep  indigo  and 
purple;  bloom  continued  for  several  months  by 
cutting  spikes  immediately  after  blooming. 

Digitalis — Foxglove.  Hardy  perennial ;  long 
spikes  of  large,  showy  flowers,  ranging  through 
purple,  white,  rose,  and  spotted;  three  to  five 
feet. 

Gaillardia.  Showy  garden  annual;  rich  and 
varied  colors ;  one  to  two  feet ;  June  until  frost. 

Eschscholtzia — California  Poppy.  Annual, 
producing  flowers  of  beautiful  form  and  tex- 
ture; brilliant,  shining  yellow  and  orange;  one 
foot;  June  until  frost. 

Hollyhock.  Hardy  biennial;  robust  in 
growth ;  excellent  effects  in  many  situations ;  five 
to  eight  feet;  massive  spikes  of  white,  cream, 
pink,  yellow,  and  deep-red  flowers;  July  and 
August. 

Marigolds.  Gorgeous  masses  of  brilliant  yel- 
93 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

low  and  orange  during  summer  and  autumn; 
dwarf  variety  good  for  edges  of  border. 

Lupins.  Annual  and  perennial ;  white,  hardy 
perennial;  a  great  acquisition  to  the  garden; 
bush  four  feet;  leaves  very  decorative. 

Mignonette.  Great  favorite;  healthy,  rich, 
green  foliage,  and  the  subdued  tones  of  the 
flowers  produce  a  restful  note  in  the  garden; 
perfume  delicious;  one  foot. 

Nasturtiums.  Dwarf  varieties  of  compact 
growth  make  a  good  bedding  plant,  the  leaves 
in  their  exposure  to  the  sunlight  making  a  per- 
fect mosaic  of  green. 

Nicotiana.  Annual;  flowers  sweet-scented, 
pure  white,  rose,  rich  crimson;  foliage  large, 
luxuriant,  and  tropical  in  effect;  two  to  three 
feet. 

Penstemon.  Beautiful  garden  annual;  pink, 
white,  scarlet,  and  purple  flowers;  two  to  three 
feet. 

Pansies.  Varied  in  color  and  form;  exceed- 
ingly attractive  in  early  spring,  with  their  deli- 
cate and  deep  rich  colors  and  velvety  texture. 

Hardy  Phlox.  A  great  favorite  for  herba- 
ceous borders.  The  colors  range  from  vermilion 
to  pink,  blush,  and  salmon  shades.  They  are 
sturdy  in  their  growth,  profuse  in  flowering, 
and  remain  in  bloom  during  the  late  summer 
months;  two  to  three  feet. 

94 


HERBACEOUS    BORDER 

Poppies.  Wonderful  variety  in  coloring; 
Oriental  Poppies  produce  gorgeous  masses  in 
May;  Carnation  and  Shirley  are  best  for  sum- 
mer blooming;  seeds  may  be  sowed  broadcast  in 
the  border,  and  it  will  be  the  "  survival  of  the 
fittest " ;  two  to  three  feet. 

Salvia.  A  gorgeous  mass  of  color  may  be 
secured  from  the  Salvia.  The  contrast  between 
the  brilliancy  of  the  flowers  and  the  vividness  of 
the  foliage  is  startling;  two  to  four  feet;  late 
summer  and  autumn. 

Salpiglossis.  Beautiful  garden  annual ;  flow- 
ers brilliant  crimson ;  scarlet,  netted  with  golden 
yellow;  eighteen  inches. 

Ricinus — Castor-Oil  Plant.  Large,  luxuriant, 
rapid-growing  annual ;  subtropical  effect ;  prized 
for  foliage;  color  of  leaves  varies  from  bronze 
maroon,  light  red,  and  dark  purplish  red  to  light 
and  dark  green ;  three  to  ten  feet. 

Tritoma — "  Red-Hot  Poker."  Hardy  peren- 
nial; tall  spikes  of  orange-red  flowers;  August 
until  frost ;  four  to  five  feet. 

Zinnias.  Well-known  hardy  annual;  large 
double  flowers  in  summer  and  autumn;  orange, 
crimson,  pink,  yellow,  white;  two  to  three  feet. 


95 


CHAPTER   XI 

GARDEN    OF   WILD    FLOWERS 

BY  the  time  the  students  are  ready  to  enter 
High  School  they  should  have  a  speaking  ac- 
quaintance, at  least,  with  one  hundred  of  our 
native  wild  flowers  and  twenty  common  ferns. 
It  is  not  advisable  nor  possible  to  introduce  all 
varieties  into  the  garden,  for  conditions  are  so 
unnatural  they  could  not  live,  and  many  resent 
being  taken  from  their  native  haunts.  The  wise 
thing  is  to  select  species  that  are  tolerant  of 
poor  conditions  and  try  to  improve  them  under 
cultivation. 

The  selection,  to  be  of  educative  value,  must 
contain  typical  specimens  of  Monocotyledonous 
and  Dicotyledonous  plants.  The  Spadiceflorce 
may  be  represented  by  Skunk- Cabbage,  Jack-in- 
the-Pulpit,  Cat-Tail,  Calla  palustris;  Glumiflorce, 
by  grasses  and  sedges ;  Petaloida,  by  Lilies  and 
Orchids.  The  Dicotyledonous  plants  include 
Apetalce  —  Wild  Ginger;  Poly  petals  —  Butter- 
cups, Clover,  Lupin,  Roses,  Saxifrage,  Wild 
Carrots,  Parsnips,  Mullein,  Cardinal  Flower; 
Sympetalce — Bluebells,  Goldenrod,  Asters,  and 
many  other  beautiful  and  hardy  flowers. 

96 


GARDEN    OF    WILD    FLOWERS 

Most  lessons  relating  to  adaptation  of  struc- 
ture to  function  can  be  given  with  best  results 
by  using  wild  flowers.  They  are  simple  and 
natural  in  their  structure,  while  some  cultivated 
flowers  have  become  so  modified  as  to  obliterate 
parts.  Simple  lessons  in  plant  physiology  would 
illumine  the  work,  as  also  would  some  experi- 
mental work  with  soil. 

The  relation  of  leaves  to  catching  and  shed- 
ding rainfall;  arrangement  and  form  of  leaves 
in  reference  to  light;  modification  of  leaves  and 
stems  for  purposes  of  support;  movement  of 
leaves  as  a  protection  against  heat  and  cold; 
color,  form,  texture,  and  marking  of  flowers  for 
the  attraction  of  insects  for  purposes  of  cross- 
pollination  ;  the  efforts  of  roots,  stems  and  leaves 
for  the  perfection  of  the  individual ;  the  perfec- 
tion of  the  individual  culminating  in  the  per- 
fection of  the  species — these  lessons  and  more  of 
vital  importance  and  interest  will  make  the  wild 
garden  a  source  of  the  greatest  pleasure  and 
delight. 


97 


CHAPTER   XII 

THE   VEGETABLE   GAKDEN 

BEFORE  beginning  any  planting  the  ground 
must  be  in  good  condition — thoroughly  plowed, 
harrowed,  and,  if  necessary,  richly  manured. 
Barnyard  manure  for  general  purposes  is  best, 
for  it  not  only  contains  all  the  elements  of  plant- 
food,  but,  what  is  more  essential,  aids  in  improv- 
ing the  physical  conditions  of  the  soil,  making 
it  more  porous,  capable  of  receiving  more  air 
and  water,  and  of  retaining  moisture.  A  good 
commercial  fertilizer  may  be  employed  for  the 
immediate  use  of  plants  while  processes  of  de- 
composition, which  are  necessary  for  reducing 
the  manures  to  soluble  form,  are  taking  place 
in  the  soil.  It  is  not  wise  to  attempt  to  ex- 
periment with  fertilizers  on  individual  plots. 
This  work  can  best  be  done  on  plots  that 
are  designed  for  purposes  of  observation  and 
instruction. 

The  accompanying  plan  providing  for  indi- 
vidual plots  ten  by  thirty-five  feet,  each  of  which 
could  be  divided  into  five  plots,  six  by  ten,  with 
a  foot-path  between  them,  has  been  used  with 
satisfaction. 

98 


THE    VEGETABLE    GARDEN 

The  choice  of  vegetables  is  a  matter  of  indi- 
vidual taste,  and  for  some  reasons  it  is  best  to 
allow  children  to  make  their  own  selections,  espe- 
cially if  the  plots  are  small.  But  when  the  space 
is  large  the  best  results  are  undoubtedly  secured 
by  having  uniform  planting.  Squashes,  lettuce, 
radishes,  red  beets,  carrots,  spinach,  peas,  beans, 
tomatoes,  potatoes  and  corn  yield  satisfactory 
returns  and  produce  good  material  for  educative 
purposes.  Marigolds  and  Nasturtiums  were  se- 
lected for  bordering  the  path  because  of  their 
dwarf  habit  of  growth.  Cannas  and  Castor-Oil 
Beans  make  an  effective  background  for  the 
whole.  A  good  border  for  the  front  may  be 
made  of  scarlet,  white  and  sweet-scented  Gerani- 
ums, or  any  annual  or  perennial  flowers,  pro- 
vided the  color  tones  are  not  discordant. 

The  greatest  care  is  necessary  in  planting, 
which  must  be  done  in  a  systematic,  orderly 
manner.  A  garden-line  is  a  necessity.  There 
is  a  great  moral  force  in  a  straight  line.  Chil- 
dren are  apt  to  plant  seed  too  thick.  Definite 
instructions  must  be  given  and  plants  must  be 
properly  thinned  out.  Weeding  is  easily  done, 
but  watering  and  conserving  moisture  are  the 
important  things.  When  rain  falls  or  the  earth 
is  sprinkled,  the  surface  of  the  soil  becomes 
compact  and  the  spaces  between  particles  of  soil 
are  so  small  that  soil-moisture  rises  by  capillary 

99 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

attraction  and  passes  off  by  evaporation.  After 
a  rain,  or  after  sprinkling,  when  the  surface 
becomes  dry,  go  over  it  with  a  rake  and  break 
up  the  surface  of  the  soil,  forming  a  soil-mulch, 
thus  lessening  capillarity.  The  water  is  drawn 


"  A  garden-line  is  a  necessity."     Boys'  Garden,  Groton,  Mass. 

near  the  surface  where  it  is  needed  by  the  roots 
of  the  plants,  but  can  not  escape  into  the  air  by 
evaporation. 

Devote  a  small  plot  of  ground  to  food-plants, 
as  wheat,  rye,  oats,  buckwheat  and  peanuts;  to 
fibrous  plants,  as  flax,  hemp,  cotton;  and  to 
medicinal,  as  Digitalis,  Lobelia,  Mandrake,  Liv- 
erwort, Dandelion,  etc.  These  plots  serve  for 
observation  and  experiments  with  fertilizers. 

INDIVIDUAL    PLOT  OF    VEGETABLE    GARDEN 

1.  Flowers         5.  Carrots  9.  Dwarf  Marigolds       13.  Potatoes 

2.  Lettuce  6.  Spinach  10.  Path  14.   Corn 

3.  Radishes        7.  Peas  11.  Dwarf  Nasturtiums  15.  Cannas 

4.  Red  Beets      8.  Beans  12.  Tomatoes  16.  Castor- 

Oil  Beans. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

WINDOW-GAEDENING 

WINDOW-GARDENING  has  been  successfully  car- 
ried on  in  England  and  is  becoming  very  com- 
mon in  this  country,  especially  in  cities  where 
other  gardening  is  impossible.  There  are  two 
kinds  of  window-gardening — summer  and  win- 
ter. For  the  former,  window-boxes  are  made 
to  fit  the  window-sills  on  the  outside,  or  on 
balconies,  where  they  exist.  Boxes  may  be 
ornate,  made  of  wood,  terra-cotta,  iron  or 
wire  patterns — the  latter  affording  free  drain- 
age and  allowing  the  air  to  get  through  the  soil 
to  the  roots,  a  great  advantage  to  the  health  of 
the  plants.  The  box  should  be  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  window-sill,  but  never  exceed  six 
inches  in  depth. 

The  best  soil  for  window-boxes  is  com- 
post of  turfy  loam — soil  formed  by  rotted  sods 
that  have  been  cut  two  inches  deep  from  good 
pasture-land.  Add  one-fourth  rotted  stable  ma- 
nure and  thoroughly  mix.  This  is  a  good  soil 
for  almost  any  growing  plant.  Where  a  limited 
quantity  of  soil  is  required  this  can  be  secured 

101 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

from  a  florist.  To  be  satisfactory  the  plants 
must  be  strong  and  vigorous  in  their  growth 
and  the  soil  is  liable  to  be  exhausted.  The  plants 
will  be  stimulated  by  an  application  of  any  com- 
plete fertilizer  in  dry  or  liquid  form.  A  one- 
pound  package,  sufficient  for  twenty-five  plants 
of  ordinary  size  for  one  year,  costs  twenty  cents. 

A  complete  fertilizer  is  a  highly  concentrated 
form  of  all  the  ingredients  of  plant-food  essen- 
tial to  the  highest  development  of  plants  and 
flowers.  It  is  soluble,  readily  assimilated  and 
stimulates  to  a  luxuriant,  healthy  growth  and  to 
an  abundance  of  brilliant  flowers. 

In  the  spring  these  boxes  or  trays  are  filled 
with  Pansies,  Daisies — the  small  English  Daisy 
— and  the  varieties  of  bulbous  flowers,  such  as 
Tulips,  Jonquils,  Hyacinths,  Daffodils,  Snow- 
drops. After  these  have  given  their  best  display 
they  are  removed  and  the  bulbs  saved  for  an- 
other season.  With  new  ones  added  in  the  fall, 
they  will  again  answer  for  the  boxes,  or  perhaps 
for  the  yard.  For  the  summer  months  these 
boxes  are  filled  with  an  almost  endless  variety 
of  summer-blooming  plants.  There  are  several 
very  fine  varieties  of  ever-blooming  Geraniums, 
ranging  from  the  purest  white  to  the  deepest  red. 
Begonias  are  also  much  used,  especially  Begonia 
rubra  and  varieties  of  Semperflorens.  Hibiscus 
sinensis,  a  large  brilliant  red  flower,  is  much 

102 


WINDOW-GARDENING 

used  for  balconies,  as  are  also  Oleanders,  where 
there  is  sufficient  space.  A  number  of  varieties 
of  vines  such  as  English  Ivy,  Vincas,  and  Lo- 
belias, are  put  into  these  boxes  and  hang  down 
in  graceful  effects. 

For  shady  spots  Fuchsias  do  well,  and  there 
are  many  beautiful  varieties.    Salvia  splendens 


Window-Gardens:  the  Alfred  Corning  Clark  Neighborhood 
House,  Rivington  Street,  New  York  City. 

is  a  fine,  tall,  showy  plant  for  large  spaces. 
Foliage  plants  for  summer  boxes  are  Crotons, 
Dracaenas,  and  Palms.  In  the  autumn  the  sum- 
mer flowers  can  be  replaced  by  hardy  Chrysan- 
themums, which  have  been  prepared  during  the 
summer  months  and  are  now  readv  to  bud  and 

103 


CHILDREN'S    GAEDENS 

bloom.  There  are  also  good,  hardy  evergreens, 
ranging  from  the  lightest  green  to  the  darkest 
golden  brown,  blue  and  bronze  shades,  all  of 
which  make  the  winter  box  very  effective.  The 
winter  plants  must  necessarily  be  hardy  and 
evergreen.  Some  of  the  best  varieties  are  Buxus 
sempervirens — common  Box-Tree — Arborvitae 
in  varieties,  Mahonia,  and  English  Ivy. 

For  indoor  window-gardening  there  is  a 
great  number  of  varieties,  both  in  foliage  and 
flowering  plants. 

Before  arranging  inside  boxes,  the  window- 
sill  should  be  fitted  with  a  galvanized-iron  pan 
the  size  of  the  sill  and  two  inches  deep.  Painted 
the  color  of  the  woodwork  it  is  inconspicuous, 
protects  the  window-sills  and  catches  the  drain- 
age water.  Conditions  of  growth  are  so  varied 
that  care  should  be  taken  in  the  selection  of 
plants.  The  colors  should  always  be  harmoni- 
ous and  a  few  colors  selected  to  preserve  the 
feeling  of  repose.  Green  is  always  useful. 

A    LIST    OF    PLANTS    FOR    WINDOW-GARDENS 

Asparagus  sprengeri,  Climbing  or  Drooping 
Variety,  is  especially  adapted  to  window-garden- 
ing. It  is  ornamental,  a  rich  shade  of  green,  and 
can  withstand  a  dry  atmosphere. 

Nephrolepis  exultata — "  Boston  Fern  " — is 
one  of  the  most  satisfactory  plants.  The  tips 

104 


WINDOW-GARDENING 

of  the  leaves  resent  being  touched  and  must  be 
protected.  It  endures  poor  conditions  and  does 
not  seem  to  be  injured  by  draft  or  furnace- 
heat.  It  grows  well  in  the  house  and  can  be  used 
for  outside  gardens  in  the  summer. 

Ficus  elastica — Rubber  Plant — thrives  under 
the  most  adverse  conditions  and  is  sure  to  give 
satisfaction.  It  is  tropical  in  effect,  will  endure 
the  dry  air  of  schoolrooms  and  stand  more  hard 
usage  than  any  other  plant. 

Drac&na  indivisa — Fountain  Plant — is  un- 
surpassed in  hardiness  as  a  house  plant. 

Draccena  godseffiana — Gold-Dust  Dracaena — 
has  foliage  of  a  strong  leathery  texture,  highly 
polished,  rich  dark  green  in  color,  with  irregular 
spots  of  yellow.  It  is  a  hardy  house  plant  and 
rivals  the  Rubber  Plant  in  this  respect. 

Draccena  rubra  is  beautiful  in  form,  color 
and  texture  of  foliage. 

Kentia  fosteriana  is  a  large  palm  of  sweep- 
ing foliage  and  is  very  desirable. 

Kentia  belmoreana — "  Curly  Palm  " — is  one 
of  the  best  for  general  purposes. 

Cocus  weddelliana — Dwarf  Cocoanut — is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  and  graceful  palms  in 
cultivation. 

Pteris  tremula,  Pteris  serrulata,  Pteris  cretica, 
Pteris  cristata,  Pteris  longifolia,  Adiantum  for- 
mosum,  Lomaria  cycadifolia,  Blechmun  brasilien- 

105 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

sis,  and  Blechmun  occidentale  are  some  of  the 
most  hardy  ferns.  Most  ferns,  especially 
Maiden-Hair  ferns,  are  too  delicate  to  survive 
under  poor  conditions. 

Selaginella  vogeli,  Selaginella  brannii  and 
Selaginella  emmeliana  are  good  in  color,  form, 
and  habit  of  growth. 

Cyperus  alternifolius — Umbrella  Plant — is  as 
decorative  as  a  palm  and  thrives  exceedingly 
well  in  soil  or  water.  It  is  hardy  and  a  beautiful 
house  plant  for  all  seasons. 

Aspidistra  lurida  and  Aspidistra  variegata 
are  exceedingly  hardy  and  endure  poor  condi- 
tions. 

English  Ivy  is  useful  for  inside  and  outside 
window-gardens.  The  leaves  are  of  fine  form 
and  texture  and  it  has  the  merit  of  great  hardi- 
ness. 

Cyclamens  are  attractive,  and  if  kept  in  a 
light,  airy  place  will  continue  in  bloom  six  or 
eight  weeks. 

Lilies-of-the-V  alley  can  be  forced  into  bloom 
in  three  weeks.  Set  pips,  twenty-five  in  a  bun- 
dle, in  a  well-drained  pot  at  the  same  height 
and  distance  apart,  pack  and  cover  the  roots 
with  sand,  and  protect  the  buds  with  sphagnum 
moss.  Keep  wet,  cover  with  a  glass  and  put 
away  in  a  dark  place  at  a  temperature  of  from 
eighty  to  ninety  degrees.  When  necessary  re- 

106 


WINDOW-GARDENING 

move  the  glass  and  moss  and  when  the  flowers 
appear  bring  to  the  light. 

Boxes  of  Hyacinths,  Tulips,  Jonquils,  Nar- 
cissi, may  be  prepared  for  early  blooming.  Put 
the  bulbs  into  the  soil.  When  desired  in  the 
spring  put  them  in  a  warm,  dark  place  and 
give  them  plenty  of  moisture.  After  the  leaves 
develop  and  the  flowers  appear,  bring  to  the 
light. 

Freesias  are  some  of  the  best  and  most  satis- 
factory plants  for  winter  gardening.  By  plant- 
ing the  bulbs  at  different  times  there  will  be  a 
succession  of  bloom  all  winter.  They  require 
good,  rich  soil,  plenty  of  water  and  a  tempera- 
ture of  sixty  degrees. 

Oxalis  is  a  plant  of  easy  culture  and  profuse 
and  uninterrupted  blooming.  Bermuda  "  But- 
tercup Oxalis  "is  especially  good,  the  flowers 
being  the  purest  bright  yellow,  excellent  color 
for  the  schoolroom.  It  is  a  good  plant  for  show- 
ing the  "  sleep  of  plants." 

Heliotropes  can  be  trained  at  the  side  of  a 
window  and  will  be  a  mass  of  bloom.  They  re- 
quire abundant  nourishment,  an  application  of 
liquid  hen-manure  the  color  of  weak  tea  once  a 
week,  to  keep  them  in  good  condition  and  pro- 
fuse bloom. 

Strawberry  plants  are  easily-  grown,  and  by 
using  pistillate  and  staminate  flowers  the  lesson 

107 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

of  cross-pollination  can  be  taught,  as  well  as 
propagation  by  runners. 

Primroses  are  among  the  prettiest  and  freest 
blooming  plants,  and  continue  in  bloom  a  long 
time. 

Geraniums  are  always  good  and  come  in 
many  attractive  varieties.  The  pink,  white  and 
sweet-scented  varieties  are  especially  desirable. 

Rex  begonias  in  varieties  endure  shade  and 
are  very  decorative.  Begonia  rubra  and  semper- 
florens  are  good. 

Some  of  the  varieties  recommended  may  seem 
to  be  expensive,  but  by  consulting  a  catalogue  it 
will  be  found  that  most  of  the  plants  suitable 
for  window-gardening  are  small  and  inexpen- 
sive. It  is  better  economy  to  buy  good  plants 
that  will  increase  in  beauty  and  usefulness  than 
cheap  ones  which  will  soon  have  to  be  discarded. 


108 


CHAPTER  XIV 

ROOF-GARDENING 

MANY  school-buildings  in  cities  are  now  pro- 
vided with  roof-playgrounds  that  afford  excel- 
lent opportunities  for  roof-gardening.  In  New 
York  the  new  School  of  Ethical  Culture  has 
ample  provision  for  this  work.  The  building  of 
the  Educational  Alliance  and  the  University  Set- 
tlement are  provided  with  roof  flower-gardens,  in 
boxes  and  tubs.  The  Speyer  School,  a  practise 
school  for  Teachers  College,  is  using  the  roof  to 
good  advantage.  The  roof  is  flat,  tiled,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall  and  railing.  One  part,  a  space 
about  twenty  by  four  feet,  is  devoted  to  a  gar- 
den. Soil  was  put  down  on  the  tiled  roof  to  the 
depth  of  a  foot  and  confined  by  a  plank.  The 
space  was  divided  among  the  four  lowest  grades, 
and  devoted  to  flowers  and  vegetables.  No  at- 
tempt was  made  to  study  soil  conditions,  but  the 
plans  for  next  year's  work  include  a  thorough 
study  of  the  composition  of  soil  best  adapted  to 
the  growth  of  different  plants.  The  box  gardens 
on  the  wall  will  greatly  enhance  the  attractions 
of  the  place,  and  give  the  children  plenty  of 

109 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

interesting  occupation.  The  unique  feature  of 
the  place  is  the  pergola  or  arbor.  It  is  designed 
to  be  covered  with  vines  and  afford  shade.  Tubs 


•J. 


Roof-Garden  and  Pergola,  Speyer  School,  New  York  City. 

filled  with  earth  are  placed  at  the  base  of  the  col- 
umns, and  are  planted  with  flowers,  and  gourds 
for  training  over  the  pergola.  The  roof  is  also 
provided  with  a  tool-closet,  and  a  glass-house  for 
storing  plants.  When  not  in  use  this  house  will 
serve  as  a  home  for  the  pet  animals,  where  they 
can  live  in  comfort. 

The  school-garden  work  will  be  undertaken 
on  extensive  lines  by  Teachers  College,  this 
being  made  possible  by  the  generosity  of  a 

110 


ROOF-GARDENING 

friend  who  is  interested  in  the  work.  A  garden 
has  been  started  this  year — part  of  a  complete 
and  comprehensive  plan;  and  the  new  green- 
house, recently  constructed,  will  afford  students 
and  children  the  practical  experience  that  is  so 
necessary  for  successful  work. 

Roof-gardens  are  practicable,  and  should  be 
considered  a  necessary  part  of  the  construction 
of  every  city  school.  As  the  plants  are  exposed 
to  the  sun,  use  such  hardy  plants  as  Geraniums, 


Boys'  Roof-Playground,  Public  School  126,  Brooklyn.     Pos- 
sibilities for  Roof-Gardening. 

Coleus,  Salvias,  Petunias,  Alyssum,  Snapdrag- 
ons, Asters,  Eschscholtzia,  Kenilworth  Ivy,  Lan- 
tana,  Lobelia,  Calendula,  Four-o'clock,  Mignon- 
ette, Nasturtiums,  Pansies,  Poppies,  Portulaca, 

111 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

Castor-Oil  Plants,  and  Cannas.  Balloon- Vines 
and  Cypress- Vines  are  delicate,  and  ornamental 
gourds  please  children.  Tubs  of  Cannas,  Cas- 
tor-Oil Beans  and  Caladiums  produce  pleasing 
effects. 

A  great  difficulty  to  be  encountered  in  school 
gardens  is  the  ruinous  effect  of  the  long  vaca- 
tions. By  sympathetic  cooperation  of  school 
and  vacation  school  this  might  be  overcome. 
The  children  would  start  the  garden  in  the 
spring,  and  care  for  it  until  July;  the  work 
would  then  be  continued  by  the  vacation-school 
children,  who  would  care  for  it  through  the 
summer  and  leave  it  in  good  condition  for  the 
school  in  autumn. 


112 


CHAPTER   XV 

SOME   PKOBLEMS   IN    SCHOOL  GARDENING 

THERE  may  be  an  earnest  desire  to  have  a 
school  garden  while  the  condition  may  be  such 
as  to  make.it  impossible.  A  paved  yard  with  no 
sun  is  enough  to  dampen  the  ardor  of  the  most 
enthusiastic.  However,  should  the  space  permit, 
a  few  of  the  bricks  could  be  removed  along  the 
wall  and  that  space  cultivated.  Plant  an  Ampe- 
lopsis  veitchii — Boston  Ivy — to  cling  to  the  build- 
ing, fence  or  wall,  and  if  it  is  too  shady  for  other 
plants  to  grow,  ferns  and  begonias  will  thrive. 
The  space  could  be  divided  into  small  individual 
beds,  three  by  three  or  three  by  six,  and  planted 
to  please  the  owner,  or  devoted  to  Tulips,  Hya- 
cinths, Crocuses,  Jonquils,  and  Daffodils  in  the 
early  spring,  to  be  succeeded  by  annual  or  per- 
ennial plants. 

Many  school  yards  are  covered  with  gravel 
and  surrounded  by  board  fences.  The  effect 
would  be  much  softened  and  improved,  and  the 
playground  restricted  very  little,  by  having 
either  a  shrub  or  herbaceous  border  two  or  three 
feet  wide  all  around  the  yard.  The  ground 
must  be  plowed  and  thoroughly  enriched  before 
9  113 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

anything  can  be  attempted.  Some  quick-grow- 
ing vines,  such  as  the  Virginia  Creeper,  Clematis, 
Hop,  or  Morning- Glory,  trained  over  the  fence 
would  make  a  good  background.  Suggestions 
for  a  shrub  border  can  be  found  in  the  chapter 
on  Planting  about  a  Building,  and  Shrubs  for 


California  Privet  Hedge.     Suggestion  for  School  Grounds. 

the  Arboretum,  and  for  a  herbaceous  border  in 
the  chapters  on  that  subject. 

Very  often  the  front  yard  is  sodded  and  may 
be  separated  from  the  playground  by  a  hedge 
of  California  Privet,  Rose-of- Sharon,  Japan 
Quince,  Arborvitae,  Hemlock,  or  Berberis  thun- 
bergii.  Too  often  the  yard  is  cut  up  by  indi- 

114 


PROBLEMS  IN  SCHOOL  GARDENING 

vidual  trees  and  shrubs.  There  is  no  purpose 
in  such  planting,  no  unity  of  design.  The  plants 
would  be  more  effective  massed  near  the  build- 
ing or  around  the  edge  of  the  lawn.  The  indi- 
vidual specimens  are  aggressive,  and  should  re- 
tire to  be  lost  in  the  mass,  allowing  the  building, 
which  is  the  central  figure,  to  be  the  prominent 
feature  in  the  composition,  the  planting  being 
merely  an  accessory  for  adornment. 

There  is  really  no  excuse  for  the  dreary  and 
forlorn  school  yards  seen  so  often  about  the 
rural  and  village  schools.  They  are  usually  un- 
kept,  with  the  schoolhouse,  wood-shed  and  two 
outhouses  standing  in  bold  relief,  without  a 
screen  of  any  kind.  Two  days'  work  would  be 
sufficient  to  prepare  the  earth  and  plant  enough 
trees,  shrubs  and  seeds  to  transform  the  dreary 
place  into  one  of  pleasure  and  delight.  Annual 
and  biennial  plants  have  to  be  renewed,  and  to 
prevent  this  necessity  it  is  better  to  use  perennial 
herbs  and  shrubs.  When  they  are  once  started 
they  take  care  of  themselves.  An  irregular  bor- 
der inside  of  a  fence,  a  screen  when  necessary, 
planted  about  the  house,  trees  along  the  side- 
walk and,  where  shade  is  desired,  in  the  yard, 
so  change  the  place  as  to  stimulate  the  children 
to  greater  effort.  When  there  is  absolutely  no 
available  space,  window  and  roof  gardens  are 
the  only  alternative. 

115 


CHAPTER   XVI 

SCHOOL   GARDENS   AND   GEOGKAPHY 

GARDENING  of  itself  is  of  the  greatest  value 
in  the  education  of  children,  but  it  does  not  per- 
form its  complete  function  in  the  school  unless 
it  has  some  organic  connection  with  the  other 
work.  It  is  nature  study  and  illumines  geogra- 
phy. The  soil  is  part  of  the  earth's  surface,  de- 
rived from  the  rocks — granite,  sandstone,  lime- 
stone, marble,  shales  and  slates,  which  form  the 
earth's  crust.  Children  very  early  get  the  idea 
of  the  great  interdependencies  of  animals,  vege- 
tables and  minerals  and  soon  realize  that  plants 
are  the  connecting  link  between  the  mineral  and 
the  animal  worlds.  They  should  see  in  the  rocks 
great  storehouses  of  energy  which,  unlocked  by 
nature's  forces — extremes  and  changes  of  tem- 
perature, water,  atmospheric  and  organic  agen- 
cies— are  all  utilized  by  plants  which  form  the 
basis  of  animal  life. 

The  power  of  different  soils  to  absorb  and 
retain  heat  and  moisture;  the  relation  of  plants 
to  these  varied  conditions;  the  influence  of  the 
sun  upon  plant  growth — all  this  gives  an  experi- 

116 


SCHOOL    GARDENS    AND    GEOGRAPHY 

ence  which  will  enable  children  to  interpret  the 
reasons  for  vegetable  growth  in  cold,  hot,  dry 
or  moist  conditions  all  over  the  world.  The 
origin  of  soil,  the  disintegration  of  rock  and  or- 
ganic matter,  the  agents  at  work — water,  air, 
frost,  glaciers,  low  orders  of  plants,  low  orders 
of  animals,  the  chemical  and  physical  action  of 
higher  forms  of  animals  and  plants  upon  rocks 
—all  these  are  subjects  closely  related  to  the 
garden,  and  are  fundamental  in  the  study  of 
geography. 

The  transpiration  of  moisture  by  plants  is 
one  of  the  causes  of  the  rainfall  and  of  the 
changes  of  temperature  of  the  atmosphere. 
The  elements  of  forestry  and  sylviculture 
can  be  taught  in  connection  with  the  growth  of 
"trees  in  the  arboretum.  The  vegetable  garden 
relates  to  the  great  market-garden  industry  of 
the  South,  and  of  the  regions  near  large  cities. 
Unless  the  children  are  made  to  appreciate  the 
possibility  of  securing  a  livelihood  from  the  soil, 
the  poor  and  the  struggling,  who  most  need 
a  changed  condition  of  life,  will  not  seek  the 
country.  A  stimulus  and  taste  for  country 
life  must  come  from  training  in  the  public 
schools. 

Intensive  farming  may  be  demonstrated  on 
experimental  plots,  with  different  kinds  of  food- 
products,  as  corn,  wheat,  rye,  oats,  sugar-cane, 

117 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

buckwheat,  peanuts,  grown  under  different  soil 
conditions,  with  varied  applications  of  fertil- 
izers, and  the  relation  may  be  shown  to  the  great 
agricultural  industries  which  stimulate  commerce 
and  manufacture.  The  culture  of  fibrous  plants 
—flax,  cotton,  hemp,  and  coco-palm — will  add 
interest  to  the  inventive  and  manufacturing 
progress  of  the  country.  Flax  makes  an  attract- 
ive garden  plant  because  of  its  beautiful  flow- 
ers. It  requires  a  warm,  sunny  place  and  it  is 
easily  raised  in  the  schoolroom.  Hemp  is  a 
strong,  roughish  plant  and  thrives  best  in  moist, 
rich  soil.  It  grows  rapidly  and  makes  a  good 
screen.  Seeds  may  be  planted  where  they  are 
to  grow,  or  may  be  grown  in  pots  and  boxes  in 
the  house.  Coco-fiber  is  an  important  article 
of  commerce,  but  as  Cocos  nucifera — the  coco- 
nut of  commerce — is  a  large  palm,  Cocos  wed- 
delliana  may  be  used  instead  to  show  the  habit  of 
growth.  The  cotton-plant  may  be  easily  raised  in 
the  garden  or  in  the  schoolroom.  It  has  a  beau- 
tiful flower  of  white,  changing  to  pink.  Peanuts 
are  easily  grown  in  the  house  in  sandy  loam  and 
warm  temperature.  They  have  become  such  an 
important  article  of  food,  and  their  method  of 
culture  is  so  unique,  that  it  pays  well  to  raise 
them. 

Medicinal  plants  can  be  studied  in  different 
parts  of  the  garden  where  they  occur,  but  the 

118 


SCHOOL    GARDENS    AND    GEOGRAPHY 

impression  produced  would  be  more  distinct  if 
they  were  assigned  a  special  place  in  the  garden. 
An  herb  garden  would  please  the  girls,  and 
should  they  be  studying  domestic  science  the 
herbs  could  be  used  to  advantage. 


119 


CHAPTER   XVII 

NATIVE    SHKTJBS 

THE  value  of  shrubs  in  producing  fine 
landscape-gardening  effects  appreciated  more 
and  more  each  year.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
depend  upon  imported  exotic  shrubs,  for  the 
choicest  varieties  are  native  to  this  country. 
Nothing  could  be  more  decorative  and  satisfac- 
tory than  the  beautiful  native  Viburnums  and 
Cornels,  the  Elders  and  wild  Roses,  and  the 
evergreen  Kalmias  and  Rhododendrons. 

Within  a  short  distance  of  every  school  in 
this  country  there  is  plenty  of  material  which 
could  be  utilized  for  improving  and  beautifying 
the  school  grounds,  and  for  developing  an 
arboretum.  Children  should  learn  the  beauty  of 
common  things.  It  seems  to  require  the  edu- 
cated taste  of  a  trained  landscape-gardener 
to  appreciate  the  beautiful  groupings  and  masses 
of  shrubbery  in  the  meadows  and  along  the 
roadsides.  Nature  is  a  good  teacher,  and  sug- 
gests many  beautiful  effects  which  would  trans- 
form the  dreariness  and  barrenness  of  many 
school  yards. 

120 


NATIVE    SHRUBS 

Shrubs  may  be  used  in  two  ways — as  single 
specimens  to  display  the  merits  of  individual 
plants,  or  as  part  of  a  structure  or  design  in 
ornamental  planting.  The  specimen  shrub  is 
better  the  exception  than  the  rule,  as  a  lawn  cut 
up  by  many  isolated  trees  and  shrubs  loses  its 
repose,  and  the  unity,  individuality,  and  purpose 
of  its  design. 

Massed  shrubbery  will  serve  to  define  the 
boundaries  of  school  grounds;  screen  the  road 
and  unsightly  surroundings ;  relieve  the  founda- 
tions of  buildings ;  border  walks  or  drives ;  and 
modify  the  angularity  of  the  corners  of  the 
yards. 

As  to  the  choice  of  shrubs, — those  native 
to  any  locality  are  sure  to  be  hardy,  and  will 
probably  improve  under  cultivation.  Vibur- 
nums and  Cornels  are  so  widely  distributed  that 
they  are  available  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the 
country.  They  are  apt  to  be  confounded  by  a 
casual  observer,  but  a  close  study  discloses  char- 
acteristics which  are  unmistakable.  The  Vibur- 
nums have  dentate  or  cut  leaves,  the  corolla  is 
a  five-pointed  star  with  five  stamens,  while  the 
Cornels  have  simple,  entire  leaves,  with  veins 
following  the  outline,  and  the  individual  flower 
is  a  four-pointed  star  with  four  stamens.  Some 
of  the  Viburnums  have  both  sterile  and  fertile 
flowers,  as  Viburnum  opulus  and  Viburnum 

121 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

tomentosum,  which  by  selection  and  propagation 
have  lost  their  fertile  flowers,  and  given  rise  to  the 


Viburnum  tomentosum  plicatum:  Japanese  Snowball. 

varieties    Viburnum    opulus   sterilis — our   com- 
mon Snowball — and  Virburnum  tomentosum  pli- 

122 


NATIVE    SHRUBS 

catum — Japanese  Snowball.  It  is  not  a  mistake 
to  plant  varieties  of  Viburnums  in  great  masses, 
for  they  furnish  a  succession  and  profusion 
of  blooming  from  early  May  until  July.  The 
fruit  is  so  abundant  in  the  autumn,  the  range  in 
color  is  so  great,  from  brilliant  scarlet  to  dark 
blue  and  deep  purple,  and  the  autumnal  color- 
ing so  varied  in  its  tones  of  rich  bronze,  purple, 
and  red,  that  they  are  as  ornamental  in  fruit  as 
in  flower. 

The  merits  of  the  Cornels  are  many,  and  their 
habits  varied.  Cornus  florida— Flowering  Dog- 
wood— generally  blooms  before  the  leaves  de- 
velop. The  small  head  of  yellow-green  flowers, 
encircled  by  the  whorl  of  four  large,  pure  white 
bracts,  look  like  drifts  of  snow  that  have  lin- 
gered long  in  the  lap  of  spring.  The  true  flow- 
ers are  the  least  conspicuous  of  all  the  Cornels 
and  the  only  Cornel  (except  Cornus  canadensis 
— Bunchberry — which  is  an  herb)  that  has  the 
great  white  involucre  which  gives  the  tree  its 
distinctive  character.  The  tree  is  choice.  It 
grows  well  in  the  shade  of  other  trees  and  the 
beautiful  oval  leaves  spread  out  to  catch  every 
glimpse  of  sunlight.  The  head  of  flowers  is  suc- 
ceeded by  a  bunch  of  scarlet  fruit  which  con- 
trasts strangely  with  the  crimson  tones  of  the 
autumn  foliage.  The  leaves  of  Cornus  alterni- 
folia — Alternate-leaved  Dogwood — are  inclined 

123 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

to  grow  in  rosettes  forming  a  perfect  mosaic  of 
leaves  as  they  extend  to  the  sunlight. 

Cornus  candidissima,  or  Cornus  paniculate, 
blooms  profusely  and  is  exceptionally  fine  for 
irregular  hedges.  The  fruit  of  Cornus  florida 


Cornus  florida:  Flowering  Dogwood. 

is  scarlet,  but  the  prevailing  colors  of  the  fruit 
of  the  cornels  are  white,  light  blue  and  blue. 
These  shrubs  deserve  to  be  planted  for  the  foli- 
age, flowers  and  fruit,  but  they  render  most 
valuable  service  in  the  remarkable  coloring  of 
their  twigs  in  winter. 

124 


NATIVE    SHRUBS 

Cornus  alba — Red  Stemmed  Dogwood— has 
brilliant  blood-red  stems  in  winter.  Cornus 
stolonifera — Red-Osier  Dogwood — has  red  stems 
but  less  vivid ;  and  there  is  also  a  yellow-stemmed 
variety.  The  twigs  of  Cornus  baileyi — Bailey's 
Dogwood  —  and  Cornus  asperifolia  —  Rough- 
Leaved  Dogwood — are  reddish  brown;  those  of 
Cornus  circinata — round-leaved  dogwood — and 
Cornus  alt erni folia — Alternate-Leaved  Dogwood 
—are  green,  and  Cornus  amomum  dull  purple. 
The  effect  of  these  brilliant  stems  against  a 
hedge  of  somber  green  Hemlock  or  a  mass  of 
snow  is  really  striking.  A  most  artistic  shrub 
in  some  situations  is  the  common  American  Elder 
—Sambucus  canadensis.  It  may  be  used  in 
various  combinations.  Its  profusion  of  creamy 
flowers,  and  later  its  masses  of  shining  red- 
dish-purple berries,  used  with  wild  roses,  pro- 
duce effects  that  give  pleasure  in  almost  any 
situation. 

Sambucus  racemosa  —  Red-berried  Elder — 
blooms  very  early,  and  in  midsummer  is  often 
a  mass  of  great  clusters  of  brilliant  scarlet 
berries. 

In  May  the  hills  are  flushed  with  the  rose- 
pink  flowers  of  the  Cercis  canadensis,  or  Amer- 
ican Judas-Tree.     The  flowers  are  pea-shape, 
and  as  soon  as  they  lose  some  of  their  brilliancy 
the  exquisite  green  of  the  young  leaves  appears. 

125 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

The  flowers  are  succeeded  by  many-seeded  pods, 
characteristic  of  the  Leguminosce  or  Pea  Family, 
which  become  bright  rose-colored,  changing  to 
brown,  and  in  crowded  masses  hang  on  the  tree 
until  early  winter.  The  mature  foliage  of  thick 
leathery  texture  is  good  throughout  the  summer 
and  fall.  It  may  be  planted  to  good  advantage 


Cercis  canadensis:   Redbud. 

with  the  Cornus  florida,  as  the  habits  of  growth 
are  so  dissimilar. 

The  yellow  Flowering  Currant — Ribes  au- 
reum — Missouri  Currant — has  delicate,  pale- 
green  leaves,  and  flowers  of  spicy  odor,  suc- 
ceeded by  black  fruit. 

No  garden  is  complete  without  some  bushes 
126 


NATIVE    SHRUBS 

or  hedges  of  Syringa  or  Lilac.  The  buds  are 
interesting  in  the  spring,  the  foliage  is  clean, 
free  from  insects,  and  the  flowers  are  massive. 
They  have  been  great  favorites  for  centuries. 
Some  of  the  new  varieties  are  exquisitely  beau- 
tiful. 

There  are  two  native  Spiraeas,  which  thrive 
well  under  cultivation,  and  will  endure  almost 
any  conditions — the  Spiraea  salicifolia — Meadow 
Sweet — and  Spiraea  tomentosa — Steeple-bush. 
They  are  widely  distributed,  and  bloom  from 
July  to  September.  Several  cultivated  species 
are  in  such  general  use,  and  have  so  many  good 
qualities,  that  they  may  be  used  to  good  advan- 
tage in  any  shrub  border.  Spiraea  thunbergii  is 
one  of  the  earliest  to  bloom,  coming  with  the 
Forsythias.  It  has  small  single  white  flowers  in 
bunches  of  two  to  four,  along  almost  leafless 
stems.  The  summer  foliage  is  airy,  light  green 
in  color,  very  graceful  in  appearance,  and  light- 
ens heavy  shrubbery  masses;  the  autumnal  col- 
oring is  a  rich  purple  bronze,  scarlet,  and  orange. 

Spiraea  prunifolia — Plum-leaved  Spiraea — is 
more  erect  and  rigid  in  its  habit  of  growth.  The 
pure  white  double  flowers  appear  very  early  in 
the  spring,  and  remain  in  bloom  a  long  time. 
The  foliage  especially  commends  it.  In  midsum- 
mer it  is  bright,  shiny,  clean,  and  in  autumn 
has  wonderfully  rich  tones  of  bronze,  red,  and 

127 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

orange.  It  justly  deserves  to  be  placed  in  the 
front  ranks  of  flowering  shrubs. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  Spiraea  van 
houttei  is  the  finest  variety.  During  its  flower- 
ing season,  in  May  and  June,  the  plant  is  cov- 
ered with  a  mass  of  large  clusters  of  white 
flowers,  presenting  a  beautiful  appearance.  In 
her  admirable  book,  Our  Northern  Shrubs,  Har- 
riet L.  Keeler  describes  it  well.  "  It  possesses 
a  remarkable  beauty  of  form ;  in  bloom  it  stands 
like  a  great  white  fountain ;  in  autumn  its  foliage 
runs  through  a  bewildering  maze  of  rich  claret, 
deep  red  with  purple  tones,  bright  scarlet,  and 
orange  fading  to  yellow." 

The  Rhododendrons,  Kalmias,  and  Azaleas 
are  superb  in  their  wealth  of  bloom  and  the 
variety  and  brilliancy  of  their  color.  These 
plants  are  desirable,  not  only  because  of  the 
beauty  of  their  great  flowering  masses,  but  be- 
cause they  are  hardy,  some  of  them  evergreen, 
and  they  may  be  used  in  borders  or  near  the 
foundations  of  houses. 

The  shrub  which  deserves  the  popularity  it 
has  gained  is  the  Hydrangea  paniculata  grandi- 
flora.  Its  growth  is  vigorous,  and  in  August 
the  large  panicles  of  greenish-white  sterile  flow- 
erms  make  it  a  most  conspicuous,  showy  shrub. 
The  flowers  persist  until  October,  and  change 
through  white  and  pale  pink  to  dull  red.  As  a 

128 


NATIVE    SHRUBS 

specimen  plant  it  is  effective,  and,  properly 
trimmed,  makes  an  excellent  hedge  and  screen. 
It  grows  best  in  rich,  porous,  and  somewhat 
moist  soil,  and  thrives  well  in  partly  shaded 
positions,  but  blooms  more  freely  in  full  sun  if 
it  has  sufficient  moisture.  The  branches  of  the 
previous  year  should  be  cut  back  in  fall  or  spring 
to  from  one  to  three  pairs  of  buds.  If  slightly 
pruned  the  panicles  may  be  numerous,  but  small. 
Pruning  back  almost  to  the  ground  produces  enor- 
mous panicles,  which  lack  gracefulness,  and  re- 
quire artificial  support. 


10  129 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

NATIVE    TREES 

THE  names  of  one  hundred  and  forty  trees 
have  been  suggested  for  the  arboretum — a  rather 
formidable  list;  but  it  is  not  expected  nor  de- 
sired that  any  one  nursery  will  contain  them  all. 
Begin  with  a  few  that  are  accessible  as  seedlings, 
found  in  the  woods,  meadows,  or  roadsides,  or 
what  is  better,  collect  seeds  and  watch  their 
germination  and  development.  Some  valuable 
information  may  thus  be  gained  about  the  vital- 
ity of  seeds,  the  length  of  time  required  for 
germination,  and  other  subjects  of  absorbing 
interest. 

No  one  locality  is  apt  to  produce  all  the 
varieties  of  trees  knowledge  of  which  is  de- 
sirable, and  in  order  to  secure  a  valuable  collec- 
tion a  system  of  exchange  might  be  instituted 
between  students  of  different  schools.  The  seeds 
of  the  Oaks,  Maples,  Walnuts,  Hickories,  Ashes, 
Chestnuts,  Box  Elders,  Catalpas,  Poplars,  Lo- 
custs, Elms,  Sycamores,  Beeches,  Tulip-Tree, 
Pines,  Firs,  Spruces,  Hemlocks,  and  Larches 
are  obtainable  in  most  localities. 

130 


NATIVE    TREES 

The  time  for  collecting  seeds  varies  from 
April  to  November,  and  many  trees  retain  their 
seeds  during  the  winter.  As  the  seed  production 
of  some  trees  is  variable,  it  is  important  to  col- 
lect them  whenever  the  trees  produce  a  good 
crop.  Seeds  of  the  best  quality  and  greatest 
vitality  are  secured  from  trees  that  grow  in  the 
open,  where  there  is  an  abundance  of  light  and 
air.  The  vitality  of  tree  seeds  varies  from  two 
weeks  to  nine  years.  The  seeds  of  the  Maples, 
Elms,  Birches,  Poplars,  and  Willows  should  be 
planted  soon  after  maturity,  as  their  seeds  have 
the  shortest  duration  of  vitality.  In  early  sum- 
mer hundreds  of  young  seedling  Maples  may  be 
found.  The  Hickorynuts,  Walnuts,  Butternuts, 
Beechnuts,  Acorns,  Chestnuts,  and  Buckeyes 
survive  scarcely  a  season.  The  seeds  of  the 
Leguminosse — Locusts,  Yellowwood,  Kentucky 
Coffee-Tree,  and  Redbud — have  the  longest  pe- 
riod of  vitality. 

Sow  seeds  in  the  seed-bed,  and  as  soon  as 
the  seedlings  are  large  enough  transplant  them 
to  the  nursery.  In  two  or  three  years  they  will 
be  sufficiently  developed  to  be  removed  to  a  per- 
manent place.  The  children  can  have  the  pleas- 
ure of  transplanting  and  caring  for  the  trees 
they  have  watched  and  studied,  and  anticipating 
their  future  beauty  and  usefulness. 

To  secure  the  most  satisfactory  results  in 
131 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

planting  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  knowledge  of 
the  habit  of  growth,  time  of  blooming,  color 
combinations  of  the  different  trees  and  shrubs, 
and  their  winter  appearance  in  order  to  secure 
a  harmonious,  artistic  grouping.  Before  doing 
any  planting  the  individuality  of  the  different 


Cladrastis  lutea:  Yellowwood. 

trees  and  shrubs  must  be  considered,  and  those 
adapted  to  the  different  conditions  selected. 
The  choice  of  material  to  produce  good  land- 
scape-gardening effects  depends  upon  the  size 
and  location  of  the  school  grounds  and  indi- 
vidual taste. 

In  the  selection  of  trees  there  is  an  embar- 
rassment of  riches.     Elms  are  very  desirable; 

132 


NATIVE    TREES 

they  are  stately  and  dignified  when  standing 
alone,  and  produce  arched,  vaulted  avenues  in 
street  planting.  Ulmus  americana  and  Ulmus 
campestris — American  and  English  Elms — are 
the  most  popular,  although  Ulmus  pubescens — 
Slippery  Elm — is  often  planted,  and  is  exceed- 
ingly attractive  in  the  spring  when  the  trees  are 
massed  with  light  green,  winged  samaras.  Cel- 
tis  Occident alis — Hackberry — is  highly  recom- 
mended as  an  ornamental  tree.  Where  it  attains 
its  highest  development  it  has  a  fine  round- 
topped  head,  pendulous  branches,  and  a  stri- 
kingly characteristic  bark.  The  leaves  become 
golden  yellow  in  the  autumn,  and  persist  some 
time  after  the  other  trees  have  shed  their  leaves. 
It  endures  varied  soil  conditions,  is  free  'from 
insects,  and  bears  dark  berries,  which  are  at- 
tractive to  birds  in  winter. 

The  Maples  have  many  good  qualities  to 
commend  them.  Acer  saccharinum,  or  Sugar 
Maple,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  forest- 
trees,  and  for  street  planting  nothing  surpasses 
it.  Symmetrical  in  growth,  it  produces  dense 
shade,  and  turns  the  most  brilliant  color  in  the 
autumn.  Acer  rubrum,  or  Soft  Maple,  has 
finely  cut  leaves  with  long,  slender  petioles, 
which  respond  to  the  wind,  disclosing  the  silvery 
whiteness  of  the  under  surface  of  the  leaves. 
Its  autumn  dress  is  yellow,  and  contrasts  well 

133 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

with,  the  crimson  of  the  Hard  Maples.  Acer 
rubrum — Red  or  Swamp  Maple — is  well  named. 
It  has  crimson  flowers  before  the  leaves  in  the 


Acer  saccharin um:  Hard  or  Sugar  Maple. 

early  April  sunlight,  scarlet  keys  in  May,  long 
red  petioles  during  the  summer,  and  is  unsur- 
passed in  the  brilliancy  of  the  autumnal  foliage. 

134 


NATIVE    TREES 

Acer  spicatum  and  Acer  pennsylvanicum  do  not 
attain  great  size,  but  are  beautiful  in  color  of 
flower  and  fruit.  The  leaves  of  Acer  plata- 
noides,  or  Norway  Maple,  and  Acer  pseudo- 
platanus,  or  Sycamore  Maple,  resemble  those  of 
the  Hard  Maples  in  shape.  They  are  larger  and 
darker  than  the  Hard  Maples,  and  hang  on  the 
trees  two  weeks  longer.  The  Norway  Maple  is 
extremely  ornamental  in  flower,  leaf,  and  fruit, 
and  is  often,  and  deservedly,  planted  as  a  speci- 
men tree.  Acer  negundo,  or  Box  Elder,  is  the 
only  Maple  with  compound  leaves.  In  fruit  it 
is  very  attractive. 

The  Horse- Chestnuts  may  be  used  in  many 
situations.  The  circle  of  leaves  at  the  end  of 
the  twigs,  supporting  a  pyramid  of  white  blos- 
soms, dashed  with  crimson  and  yellow,  adds  a 
charm  to  the  landscape.  In  midsummer,  after 
the  early  trees  have  bloomed,  and  some  of  the 
Maples,  Elms,  and  other  trees  have  shed  their 
fruit,  the  cream-colored  catkins  of  Castanea 
dentata — the  Chestnut — burst  into  bloom.  The 
trees,  however,  will  be  more  thoroughly  appre- 
ciated by  the  children  when  the  first  frost  of  the 
early  autumn  opens  their  prickly,  velvet-lined 
burs,  discharging  the  ripened  nuts.  It  attains 
a  great  size,  and  its  characteristic  branches  and 
twigs  make  it  distinctive  in  winter. 

Tilia  americana,  or  American  Linden,  has 
135 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

dense  foliage,  and  produces  dense  shade.  Tilia 
heterophylla,  or  White  Basswood,  has  leaves  with 
a  silver-white  under  surface,  and  is  very  attract- 
ive in  foliage.  The  Lindens  have  the  added  merit 
of  very  sweet  perfume,  and  are  attractive  to 
bees. 

One  of  the  late-blooming  trees  is  Catalpa 
catalpa.  The  large,  silky,  heart-shaped  leaves 
and  showy  branches  of  flowers  make  it  a  desir- 
able tree. 

A  tree  that  can  adapt  to  itself  and  endure 
the  poor  soil  common  to  many  school  yards, 
especially  in  the  city,  is  the  Ailanthus  glandulosa 
— "  Tree  of  Heaven."  The  foliage  is  tropical  in 
appearance.  The  trees  are  dioecious,  flowers  yel- 
lowish green,  the  staminate  ones  with  an  exceed- 
ingly disagreeable  odor.  In  the  autumn  the 
pistillate  trees  are  among  our  most  beautiful, 
with  their  great  masses  of  long,  swaying  com- 
pound leaves,  surrounding  the  reddish  yellow- 
green,  full-fruit  clusters,  which  are  abundant. 

No  trees  exceed  the  Poplars  for  rapid  growth, 
but  they  can  not  be  used  alone  with  good  results. 
A  good  plan  is  to  plant  them  with  Maples,  Elms, 
Pines,  or  other  slowly  growing  trees,  and  re- 
move them  as  soon  as  they  lose  their  beauty  and 
the  other  trees  are  large  enough  to  occupy  the 
space.  The  fluttering  leaves  produce  a  lively 
effect  when  used  with  a  mass  of  trees  of  other 

136 


NATIVE    TREES 

varieties.  Populus  nigra  italica,  or  Lombardy 
Poplar,  is  statuesque,  and  can  be  used  with 
round-headed  trees  to  diversify  and  accentuate 
the  sky-line.  They  also  make  effective  screens, 
and  may  be  used  to  define  the  limits  of  a  yard 
by  planting  them  along  the  fences.  Thus  there 
will  be  the  effect  of  trees  without  the  shade  of 
the  spreading  varieties.  Populus  tremuloides — 
Quaking  Aspen — Populus  grandidentata — Large- 
Toothed  Aspen — which  are  so  common  and  so 
available,  may  be  planted  for  screens,  and  by 
keeping  them  trimmed  there  will  always  be  a 
young  growth,  which  will  conceal  the  branches. 

One  of  our  most  beautiful  native  trees  is  the 
Liriodendron  tulipi*era — Tulip-Tree — White  or 
Yellow  Poplar,  as  it  is  often  incorrectly  called. 
It  belongs  to  the  Magnolia  Family,  but  has  an 
individual  beauty  of  its  own.  Its  leaves,  unusual 
in  shape,  and  the  large,  brilliant,  greenish-yellow 
flowers,  with  a  dash  of  orange  on  each  petal, 
strongly  resembling  a  tulip,  make  it  the  perfec- 
tion of  symmetry  and  form. 

The  Oak  is  the  most  magnificent  of  the  for- 
est-trees. It  is  a  king  among  trees,  as  the  lion  is 
king  among  beasts  and  the  eagle  among  birds. 
It  is  the  emblem  of  grandeur,  strength,  and  dura- 
tion. Its  growth  is  slow,  but  the  result  repays 
for  the  waiting.  Quercus  alba — White  Oak — has 
a  magnificent,  light,  yellow-green  foliage,  and 

137 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

delicate  pink  and  white  leaves  in  the  spring, 
deep,  shining  green  in  midsummer,  and  rich 
dark  purplish-red  in  autumn.  The  autumnal 


Be  tula  papyrifera:  White,  Paper,  or  Canoe  Birch. 

138 


NATIVE    TREES 

tints  of  the  Quercus  coccinea,  or  Scarlet  Oak,  are 
the  most  brilliant  of  the  oaks. 


Betula  nigra:   Red  Birch. 

The  Birch  has  been  called  "  the  most  beauti- 
ful of  the  forest-trees — the  Lady  of  the  Woods." 
The  grace  and  beauty  of  form  and  limb  entitle 

139 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

it  to  this  distinction.  The  varieties  of  special 
value  are  Betula  populifolia — White  Birch;  Be- 
tula  papyrifera — Paper  Birch;  Betula  nigra — 
Red  Birch ;  Betula  lenta — Sweet  Birch !  and  Be- 
tula lutea — Yellow  Birch.  They  are  most  de- 
sirable, and  produce  light,  airy  effects. 

Alnus  glutinosa,  or  European  Alder,  is  very 
good  in  the  spring,  when  it  shakes  out  its  golden 
curl.  Hop-Hornbeam — Ostrya  virginiana — and 
Blue  Beech  —  Carpinus  caroliniana  —  are  very 
graceful  and  effective.  One  of  the  Leguminosae, 
or  Pea  Family,  is  a  tree  of  unique  appearance 
and  interesting  character,  the  Kentucky  Coffee- 
Tree — Gymnocladus  dioicus.  It  is  rare,  but 
should  be  planted.  Another  interesting  member 
of  the  Pea  Family  is  the  Robinia  pseudacacia, 
or  Locust.  In  flower  and  leaf  it  is  an  exceed- 
ingly graceful  tree.  It  is  planted  to  best  advan- 
tage when  massed  with  other  trees,  as  the  wood 
is  weak,  easily  broken,  giving  the  tree  an  irregu- 
lar appearance. 

The  most  striking  effects  may  be  produced 
in  the  fall  by  the  Sweet  and  Sour  Gums.  The 
autumnal  foliage  of  Liquidambar  styraciflua, 
or  Sweet-Gum,  is  a  brilliant  mass  of  rich  red. 
The  peculiar  winged  bark  is  unique,  as  are  also 
the  fruit-balls.  Nyssa  sylvatica — Tupelo,  or 
Sour-Gum — is  called  the  "  Nymph  of  the  For- 
est." The  surface  of  the  leaves  is  smooth  and 

140 


NATIVE    TREES 

glossy,  and  the  superb  autumn  coloring  is  bril- 
liant scarlet,  dashed  with  orange.    For  gorgeous 


Nyssa  sylvatica:  Tupelo,  or  Sour-Gum.     "The  Nymph  of  the 
Forest " 

141 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

autumnal  effects  nothing  can  surpass  in  bril- 
liancy the  Maple,  Dogwood,  Sassafras,  Liquid- 
ambar,  and  Tupelo. 

The  Ashes,  Fraxinus  americana — White  Ash 
—Fraxinus  quadrangulata  and  nigra — Blue  and 


Pyrus  floribunda:  Chinese  Flowering  Crab. 

Black  Ash — are  of  rapid  growth,  and  excellent 
for  large  masses. 

Pyrus  coronaria — Fragrant  Crab — and  Py- 
rus floribunda  fill  the  air  with  perfume  in  May 
or  June.  Rlius  Jiirta — Staghorn  Sumach — pro- 
duces effective  massing  in  autumn,  with  brilliant 
scarlet  and  yellow  leaves  and  crimson  velvet 
fruit.  Sassafras  sassafras  often  grows  in  dense 
thickets,  the  peculiar  leaves  turning  a  brilliant 
color  in  the  fall.  Euonymus  atropurpureus,  or 

142 


NATIVE    TREES 

Burning-Bush,  retains  its  bright-red  fruit  until 
midwinter.  Hamamelis.  virginiana,  or  Witch- 
Hazel,  almost  forgets  to  bloom.  After  the  other 
trees  have  prepared  for  winter,  and  its  leaves 
are  brown  and  falling,  the  yellow  flowers  burst 
into  bloom,  and  give  to  the  November  woods  a 
suggestion  of  summer  sunlight. 

Pinus  strobus  —  White  Pine  —  is  the  most 
stately  and  beautiful  of  all  the  conifers.  The 
slender,  silky,  green  needles  make  it  very  de- 
sirable for  landscape  effects.  Picea  alba — White 
Spruce — in  growth  and  texture  produces  artistic 
contrasts  with  deciduous  trees.  Tsuga  canaden- 
sis,  or  Hemlock,  is  more  graceful  than  the 
Spruce,  and  being  a  shade-enduring  tree,  can  be 
used  for  massing  under  other  trees.  Larix  lari- 
cina  and  Larix  Europcea — Tamarack  and  Euro- 
pean Larch — grow  best  in  moist  situations. 
Foliage,  cones,  and  catkins  are  exceedingly  light 
and  dainty  in  the  spring.  Thuja  occidentalis — • 
Arborvitae — is  used  for  hedges,  and  extensively 
cultivated  as  an  ornamental  tree.  Its  formal 
outline  makes  it  useful  in  the  architectural  style 
of  landscape-gardening.  Chamczcyparis  sphce- 
roidea — White  Cedar — Juniperus  communis — 
Common  Juniper — are  statuesque  in  habit,  and 
produce  fine  contrasts  with  the  more  freely  grow- 
ing trees  and  give  accent  to  the  landscape. 

Salisburia  adianti folia — the  Gingko-Tree — is 
143 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

one  of  the  most  peculiar  and  beautiful  trees,  a 
native  of  China.  The  leaves  are  of  a  fine  form, 
color,  and  texture.  In  the  autumn  they  turn 
bright  yellow,  and  hang  on  the  trees  a  long  time. 


Salisburia  adiantif olia :     Gingko.      Street   Planting  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 

It  is  very  extensively  used,  and  richly  deserves 
its  popularity.  It  is  rare  in  its  beauty,  peculiar 
in  its  growth,  and  especially  adapted  to  street 
planting. 


144 


CHAPTER   XIX 

PKUNING    OF    SHKUBS 

No  single  rule  can  be  laid  down  as  to  the  best 
method  of  pruning  deciduous  shrubs.  The  ob- 
jects to  be  attained  by  pruning  are  the  securing 
of  some  desired  form,  the  development  of  strong, 
uniform  plants  and  foliage,  or  the  production  of 
flower-buds. 

A  large  percentage  of  the  flowering  shrubs 
blossom  in  the  spring,  and  produce  their  blos- 
som-buds on  small  branches  that  were  made  the 
year  before.  Each  flower-bud  is  carefully  pro- 
tected from  the  severity  of  the  winter,  ready  to 
develop  with  the  warmth  of  the  coming  year. 
These  are  the  branches  which  are  sacrificed 
when  the  pruning  is  done  in  the  autumn  or  early 
spring,  and  with  them  the  buds  and  anticipated 
blossoms.  If  the  pruning  is  delayed  until  after 
the  shrubs  have  bloomed,  they  will  make  an 
effort  to  repair  the  waste  by  throwing  out  new 
shoots,  which  will  ripen  and  prepare  buds  for 
next  year's  blossoms. 

Shrubs  that  bloom  in  the  summer  or  autumn 

on  wood  grown  the  same  year  endure   severe 

pruning  between  late  autumn  and  early  spring. 

This  treatment  will  destroy  no  flower-buds,  but 

11  145 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

will  encourage  a  strong  growth  of  flowering 
wood  for  the  autumn. 

Shrubs,  as  a  rule,  are  in  flower  so  short  a 
time,  comparatively,  that  the  production  of  blos- 
soms should  not  be  the  highest  aim  in  their  cul- 
tivation and  treatment.  A  badly  mutilated  shrub 
loses  much  of  the  grace  and  charm  of  its  foliage, 
and  when  the  maimed  twigs  and  branches  are 
exposed  in  the  winter  much  of  their  beauty  is 
lost.  Shrubs  should  never  be  so  severely  pruned 
as  to  impair  their  vigor  and  destroy  the  natural 
outline. 

The  thinning  out  and  cutting  back  of  weak, 
old,  and  diseased  shoots  gives  the  younger,  more 
vigorous  shoots  more  light,  air,  and  space,  and 
enables  them  to  develop  their  best  form.  "  Trim- 
ming shrubs  into  shape  "  can  not  be  too  strongly 
deprecated.  The  ideal  is  to  encourage  the  best 
typical  form. 

Severe  pruning  tends  to  enfeeble  shrubs,  and 
the  removal  of  large  branches  usually  interferes 
with  natural  and  graceful  outlines.  Generally, 
shrubs  will  be  most  vigorous  and  in  their  best 
form  the  year  through  when  no  pruning  is  at- 
tempted beyond  removing  weak  and  overshad- 
owed branches,  in  order  to  afford  the  stronger 
ones  a  better  opportunity  for  growth. 

Pruning  is  one  of  the  most  important  factors 
in  the  successful  care  of  shrubs.  It  requires 

146 


PRUNING    OF    SHRUBS 

great  care  and  judgment,  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  habit  of  growth  of  the  plant,  and  should 
not  be  undertaken  by  any  one  who  does  not 
realize  that  the  object  of  pruning  is  to  develop 
whatever  beauty  each  plant  possesses  on  lines  of 
its  natural  growth. 

In  the  leafless  season  a  mass  of  shrubbery  is 
enveloped  in  a  haze  of  delicate  tints  of  violet, 
orange,  buff,  gray,  and  olive,  a  composite  of  the 
winter  coloring  of  the  twigs.  The  grace  of  form 
in  shrubs  is  quite  as  distinct  in  winter  as  in 
summer,  and  should  not  be  marred  by  ruthless 
pruning. 

Some  spring-flowering  shrubs  which  should 
be  trimmed  after  blooming  or  when  in  leaf: 

Cornels,  Deutzia, 

Diervilla,  Forsythia, 

Ribes  aureum,  Sambucus, 

Viburnum,  Spiraea, 

Kalmia,  Rhododendron, 

Azalea,  Snowball, 

Lilac,  Mock  Orange, 

Kerria  japonica,  Berberis  vulgaris. 

Summer-flowering  shrubs  that  should  be 
pruned  in  winter  or  early  spring: 

Rosa  rugosa,  Hydrangea, 

Althea,  Tamarack, 

Elder. 
147 


CHAPTER   XX 

PKOPAGATION 

REPKODUCTION  by  seeds  is  the  most  common 
mode  of  propagation.  The  transfer  of  pollen 
is  so  easily  effected  by  bees  and  other  agents, 
and  the  results  so  beneficial,  that  horticultur- 
ists recognizing  the  advantage  of  cross-pollina- 
tion or  hybridization,  as  it  is  commonly  called, 
by  careful  selection  of  parent  plants,  have  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  plants  superior  to  both 
parents.  The  magnificent  varieties  of  Chrys- 
anthemums, Roses,  Cannas,  Tulips,  Carnations, 
and  Fruits  are  the  result  of  hybridization. 

Seeds  as  a  rule  produce  the  typical  plant, 
but  by  careful  selection  and  hybridization  the 
species  may  be  greatly  improved  and  the  seeds 
thus  obtained  often  produce  new  types  which 
are  more  valuable  than  the  original.  As  there 
is  a  tendency  to  revert  to  the  original  type,  bet- 
ter results  are  secured  in  propagating  improved 
varieties  by  cuttings  instead  of  by  seeds. 

Grapes  and  other  improved  varieties  of 
plants  are  propagated  by  cuttings  from  stems. 
Out  of  several  hundred  plants  from  seeds  there 

148 


PKOPAGATION 

may  be  only  one  or  two  which  have  the  value  of 
a  new  variety.  The  new  plants  may  give  great 
promise  for  a  year  or  two,  but  soon  develop 
traits  that  are  so  undesirable  that  their  propa- 
gation is  discontinued. 

Potatoes  are  propagated  by  cuttings  from 
thickened  underground  stems.  The  culture  of 
potatoes  has  been  for  the  production  of  tubers, 
and  the  floral  parts  have  become  reduced.  How- 
ever, they  produce  seed,  though  they  are  not  apt 
to  "  come  true  to  the  seed." 

The  selection  of  seeds  is  very  important. 
Reliable,  tested  seeds  yield  best  returns  and  the 
products  of  large  seeds  have  been  found  to  be 
larger  and  marketable  earlier  than  those  from 
small  seed. 

In  these  days  of  adulteration,  unless  careful 
attention  is  given  to  the  purity  of  seeds,  many 
noxious  weeds  are  introduced  and  become  seri- 
ous pests.  Some  of  the  most  troublesome  weeds 
are  of  European  origin,  Russian  Thistle  and 
Canada  Thistle,  while  Pigweed,  Ragweed, 
Burdock,  Plaintain,  Sheep-Sorrel,  Shepherd's- 
Purse  are  very  common. 

Sample  cases  of  seeds  are  prepared  by  the 
Government,  which  will  aid  in  identifying  dif- 
ferent seeds.  Such  a  collection  could  be  easily 
made  by  the  children  in  any  community,  and 
really  be  of  more  service.  A  careful  record  of 

149 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

the  purity  of  seed  must  be  kept  if  the  investiga- 
tion is  to  be  of  any  permanent  value. 

Seeds  should  be  sown  while  as  fresh  as  pos- 
sible and  for  security  should  be  thoroughly 
tested  before  planting.  Several  methods  are 
recommended.  One  is  to  place  them  in  water, 
those  that  sink  being  supposed  to  be  good,  while 
the  bad  ones  remain  on  the  top.  This  is  not  a 
conclusive  test,  as  some  seeds  contain  a  great 
deal  of  oil  and  will  float.  A  safe  test  is  to  cut 
a  few  of  the  seeds  in  pieces  and  examine  the 
germinating  organ,  which  appears  white  and 
plump  if  the  seed  is  in  good  condition. 

When  the  seeds  are  not  adulterated  they  may 
be  of  such  variable  vitality  as  not  to  be  desirable, 
especially  for  children,  who  expect  that  every 
seed  put  into  the  ground  will  do  its  duty  and 
"  come  up."  The  proportion  of  seeds  that  is 
likely  to  grow  can  be  readily  determined  with 
very  little  expenditure  of  effort. 

Secure  two  germinating  pans;  two  pieces  of 
cotton  flannel  for  each  pan;  glass  for  covering 
germinating  pans ;  small  paper  labels  and  record- 
blank;  and  seeds  to  be  tested. 

"  Count  out  one  hundred  of  each  of  the  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  seeds  selected  for  the  garden- 
squashes,  lettuce,  radishes,  carrots,  beets,  corn, 
beans,  spinach  and  flower-seed.  Wet  the  cloths, 
allowing  them  to  get  thoroughly  soaked,  and 

150 


PROPAGATION 

wring  out  the  surplus  water.    Spread  one  cloth 
in  the  bottom  of  the  pan,  woolly  side  down,  and 


Germinating  Pan. 

draw  the  cloth  into  as  many  folds  as  there  are 
varieties  of  seed  to  be  tested.    Arrange  the  seed 

151 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

in  the  folds  and  cover  with  the  other  cloth, 
woolly  side  up.  Cover  with  glass  and  keep 
warm.  Keep  the  pans  moist,  examine  once  in 
two  days  and  remove  all  seeds  that  have  made  a 
good  start.  When  the  germination  ceases,  count 
all  that  have  decayed  and  those  that  were  dor- 
mant and  carefully  record  the  results.  This  will 
be  an  interesting  lesson  on  the  germination  of 
seeds  with  a  practical  significance." 

The  vitality  of  seed  is  preserved  by  keeping 
them  at  a  temperature  of  forty-five  degrees, 
neither  too  wet,  nor  too  dry.  Some  seeds  must 
be  sown  as  soon  as  they  ripen,  and  most  seeds 
within  a  year.  .  Fall-ripened  seeds  are  generally 
sown  in  the  spring,  and  kept  in  a  well-ventilated 
place  all  winter.  Some  seeds  retain  their  vitality 
a  number  of  years,  as  those  of  melons,  pumpkins, 
squashes  and  cucumbers.  They  contain  a  great 
deal  of  oil,  which  passes  through  some  chemical 
changes,  which  render  it  more  available  after 
the  first  year. 

Nuts  and  hard  seeds  are  usually  put  into  the 
ground  and  the  alternate  freezing  and  thawing 
softens  the  integuments  and  causes  the  shell  to 
open. 

Biennials  should  be  sown  about  the  middle 
of  spring,  so  that  the  young  plants  will  be  estab- 
lished before  the  winter  and  ready  to  bloom  the 
following  summer. 

152 


PROPAGATION 

Square  or  rectangular  seed-boxes,  four  inches 
deep,  all  the  same  size,  must  be  prepared  with 
good  soil  for  the  starting  of  seedlings  in  the 
spring.  In  these  boxes,  cabbage,  lettuce,  cauli- 
flower, eggplants,  tomatoes,  and  celery  can  be 
started  for  the  vegetable  garden,  and  Salvia, 
Marigold  and  other  seeds  for  the  flower-garden. 
When  necessary,  the  plants  must  be  carefully 
thinned.  Some  plants  require  several  pickings- 
of£  to  make  them  root  more  freely.  With  each 
succeeding  picking  off  the  soil  must  be  made 
more  substantial  and  nutritive.  Seedlings  are 
apt  to  "  damp  off "  or  be  attacked  by  a  fungous 
growth  at  the  surface  of  the  soil.  A  thin  layer 
of  silver  sand  sprinkled  on  the  surface  will  pre- 
vent this,  as  fungi  are  unable  to  organize  min- 
eral matter  into  plant-food  and  the  sand  will  not 
support  them. 

Next  in  importance  to  propagation  by  seed 
is  the  multiplication  by  cuttings.  This  may  be 
done  by  taking  parts  of  stems,  root  or  root-stock 
or  leaf. 

Propagation  by  cutting  is  one  of  the  most 
intensely  practical  and  useful  methods  and  con- 
sists of  taking  a  portion  of  the  stem,  leaf  or  root 
of  a  living  plant  and  placing  it  under  such  favor- 
able conditions  that  it  will  root  and  form  a  new 
plant.  By  this  means  the  type  is  preserved  and 
propagation  by  seed  often  gives  rise  to  unex- 

153 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

pected  varieties.  Materials  for  cuttings  should 
be  taken  from  healthy  plants  only.  Care  must 
be  observed  in  the  selection  of  material.  Choose 
the  tips  of  branches,  avoiding  those  which  are 
too  tender  or  too  hard.  A  safe  test  is  a  stem 
which  will  break  when  bent.  Make  the  cutting 
two  or  three  inches  long,  as  a  larger  one  is  apt 


Cuttings. 

to  wilt.  Use  a  sharp  knife  and  make  a  clear, 
clean,  diagonal  cut,  beginning  under  or  opposite 
a  leaf.  Remove  lateral  leaves  to  reduce  transpi- 
ration of  moisture,  and  if  the  terminal  leaves  are 
large  cut  away  portions  of  them  for  the  same 
reason.  Clean,  sharp  sand,  containing  no  or- 
ganic matter,  thoroughly  wet,  and  well-drained, 

154 


PROPAGATION 

carefully  firmed,  makes  the  best  propagating 
bed.  When  inserting  a  cutting  it  is  desirable  to 
make  a  hole  with  a  pointed  stick,  called  a  "  dib- 
ble," into  which  the  cutting  is  placed  and  the 
soil  carefully  firmed  around  it. 

Plant  the  cuttings  near  enough  to  economize 
space  and  avoid  crowding — in  rows  three  inches 
apart.  The  soil  must  never  become  dry  or  the 
cutting  allowed  to  wilt.  Thorough  ventilation 
is  necessary,  but  drafts  must  be  avoided.  Cut- 
tings of  roots  or  root-stocks  are  easily  made. 
Bouvardia,  Anemone  japonica,  respond  to  such 
treatment.  Anemone  japonica  is  a  plant  so  sat- 
isfactory children  should  know  it  and  how  to 
cultivate  it.  Cannas  and  Dahlias  are  propagated 
by  the  division  of  root-stocks,  as  is  also  the 
Blackberry.  Rex  begonia  is  the  best  plant  for 
illustrating  propagation  by  leaf-cutting.  It  may 
be  done  by  inserting  the  petiole  of  a  leaf,  or  by 
using  the  whole  leaf,  weighting  it  in  sand,  and 
severing  the  larger  veins,  or  dividing  the  leaf 
into  several  pieces  and  inserting  the  veins  in 
sand.  The  young  plants  appear  at  the  veins. 

Cuttings  required  for  spring  planting  may 
be  propagated  in  winter,  although  as  a  rule  cut- 
tings strike  better  in  the  spring.  Hardwood 
cuttings  strike  successfully  in  the  autumn  and 
winter  and  begin  to  grow  in  the  early  spring. 
They  require  a  uniform  heat,  plenty  of  water 

155 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

and  air,  proper  shade  and  freedom  from  fungous 
growth.  After  rooting  they  must  be  put  into 
small  pots,  and  as  soon  as  the  roots  appear  at 
the  bottom  of  the  pot,  or  the  ball  of  earth  is 
covered  with  white  roots  the  plant  is  ready  for 
repotting.  Small  bulbs  which  develop  from  the 
majority  of  bulbous  plants,  as  Tulips  and  Hya- 
cinths, and  the  small  corms  produced  by  the 
Crocus  and  the  Gladioli,  are  used  for  purposes 
of  propagation.  A  common  method  of  multipli- 
cation of  the  Strawberry  is  by  stolons  or  by 
runners. 


156 


CHAPTER   XXI 

GRAFTING   AND    BUDDING 

GRAFTING  and  budding  are  the  most  artificial 
methods  of  propagation,  but  very  useful.  These 
operations  result  in  the  improvement  and  the 
perpetuation  of  many  of  our  ornamental  and 
valuable  varieties  of  trees  and  shrubs. 

Grafting  is  the  process  of  inserting  a  scion 
of  two  or  more  buds  into  a  stock. 

Budding  is  the  process  of  inserting  a  single 
bud  into  the  stock. 

A  scion  is  a  portion  of  a  plant  which  is  me- 
chanically inserted  upon  the  same  or  another 
plant  with  the  intention  of  having  it  grow. 

The  stock  is  a  plant  or  part  of  a  plant  on 
which  a  scion  or  bud  is  set. 

It  is  necessary  to  select  for  a  stock  a  good, 
strong,  healthy  plant,  well  rooted  and  capable  of 
providing  food  for  the  scion. 

Grafting  is  practicable  nearly  all  the  year, 
but  in  most  cases  is  performed  in  the  spring 
during  the  season  of  greatest  growth.  To  be 
successful  it  is  necessary  for  the  cambium  layer 
of  the  scion  and  stock  to  meet  as  perfectly  as 
possible.  During  this  season  the  cambium  layer 
lying  between  the  wood  and  bark  is  simply  a 

157 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

mucilaginous  substance,  which  heals  and  unites 
wounded  surfaces.  Later  in  the  season  the  tis- 
sues are  more  highly  differentiated,  becoming 
more  wood-like  in  structure,  and  the  union  be- 
tween stock  and  scion  is  not  so  sure. 

To  prepare  for  grafting  dig  and  store  one 
or  two  year  old  stock  in  the  fall.  Cut  scions 
in  fall  or  winter  before  the  buds  swell  in  the 
spring.  Previous  year's  growth  is  generally 
used  and  only  healthy,  well-formed  buds  should 
be  selected.  Store  them  in  moss,  sand  or  saw- 
dust in  a  damp  cellar. 

Put  a  ball  of  No.  18  knitting-cotton  for  a 
few  minutes  into  melted  wax.  The  cotton  is  soon 
saturated  with  wax  and  becomes  useful  for  rapid 
work.  Grafting-wax  is  made  by  melting  four 
parts  of  unbleached  resin,  two  parts  of  beeswax 
and  one  part  of  beef  tallow  over  a  slow  fire. 
When  thoroughly  melted  pour  the  liquid  into  a 
pail  of  cold  water,  and  when  it  is  sufficiently  cool 
to  handle,  pull  it  and  work  it  until  it  is  the  color 
of  light  molasses-candy.  Protect  in  oiled  paper 
until  used. 

Whip-grafting  is  usually  employed  on  stock 
one  or  two  years  old.  Cut  both  scion  and  stock 
diagonally  across,  the  cut  surfaces  being  from 
one  to  two  inches ;  make  a  vertical  cleft  in  both 
and  join  the  two  by  shoving  the  tongue  of  the 
scion  into  the  cleft  of  the  stock ;  secure  the  parts 

158 


GRAFTING    AND    BUDDING 

firmly  by  passing  a  bandage  of  grafting-cloth 
around  them  five  or  six  times,  or  a  bandage  of 
cloth  and  protect  with  wax. 

Splice-grafting  is  used  almost  entirely  for 
root-grafting.  Make  a  diagonal  cut  as  in  the 
whip-grafting  and  secure  the  parts  by  winding 


Whip-Grafting. 

1,  Stock;  2,  scion;  3,  diagonal  cut;  4,  tongue  cut;  5,  adjustment  of  scion  and 
stock;  6,  graft  waxed;  7,  graft  tied. 

a  waxed  string  which  is  strong  enough  to  be  of 
service  and  one  readily  broken.  Splice-grafting 
is  used  on  tender  and  soft  wood  which  will  not 
admit  of  splitting. 

Saddle- grafting  is  generally  employed  when 
a  terminal  bud  is  used  and  the  scion  is  too  small 
and  weak  to  be  cut  for  a  tongue-graft.  Cut  the 

159 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

end  of  the  stock  wedge-shaped,  split  the  scion 
and  adjust  it  upon  the  wedge. 

Cleft-grafting  is  made  by  cutting  the  stock 
off  squarely  and  splitting  the  top.  Insert  wedge- 
shaped  scions  into  the  cleft,  being  careful  to 
adjust  the  cambium  layers  of  stock  and  scion  so 
that  the  union  may  be  complete.  The  scions 
usually  have  three  buds  and  are  fitted  in  an 
oblique  position  with  the  buds  even  with  the  top 
of  the  stock.  The  contact  of  stock  and  scion 
must  be  perfect.  The  "  stub  "  of  the  tree  must 
be  carefully  and  perfectly  covered  with  wax  and 
cloth  to  exclude  rain,  air  and  fungous  growth, 
which  would  cause  decay.  The  scions  may  be 
taken  in  the  fall  and  preserved  in  sand,  moss,  or 
sawdust,  as  in  the  case  of  splice-grafting  and 
whip-grafting,  and  the  work  done  in  the  spring 
before  the  flow  of  the  sap.  This  method  is  es- 
pecially applicable  to  the  improvement  of  old 
orchards. 

Shield-budding  is  the  method  in  general  use, 
and  is  the  inserting  of  a  bud  from  a  twig  of  this 
year's  growth  under  the  bark  of  a  young  stock 
and  securely  tied.  The  stock  should  be  at  least 
three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  the  bud 
inserted  as  near  the  surface  of  the  ground  as  is 
convenient,  in  order  that  the  union  may  not  be 
seen.  For  protection  against  the  sun  the  bud  is 
generally  put  on  the  north  side  of  the  stock. 

160 


CHAPTER   XXII 

SOIL, 

WHEN  children  understand  something  of  the 
nature,  function,  origin  and  general  composition 
of  soil,  their  gardening  will  have  an  added  in- 
terest. The  constituents  of  soil  are  mingled 
fragments  of  various  kinds  of  rock  material, 
organic  matter  of  vegetable  and  animal  remains, 
and  crystals  deposited  from  oversaturated  solu- 
tion of  soil-moisture.  The  surface  soil  consist- 
ing of  the  top  to  the  depth  of  six  to  twelve  inches, 
to  which  the  garden  is  most  closely  related,  is 
composed  of  fine  rock  fragments,  while  the 
deeper  portions  compose  the  subsoil.  The  evo- 
lution of  plants  was  coincident  with  the  evolu- 
tion of  soil,  and  the  evolution  of  plants  made 
possible  the  evolution  of  animals — the  organic 
remains  of  which  have  a  close  relation  to  the 
fertility  of  the  soil.  The  soil  is  the  scene  of  the 
greatest  activity  of  life  and  energy.  One  of  its 
most  important  uses  is  to  act  as  the  storehouse 
for  water  to  be  used  by  plants.  The  productive- 
ness of  soil  is  determined  largely  by  the  amount 
of  water  it  can  hold,  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
12  161 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

held,  and  the  facility  and  completeness  with 
which  a  plant  can  use  it.  The  physical  condi- 
tions of  soil  are  more  important  than  the  chem- 
ical conditions,  as  plant-food  is  not  available 
unless  in  solution. 

Humus  in  the  soil  is  derived  from  decompo- 
sition of  aquatic  plants  in  swamps;  from  the 
conversion  of  peat-bogs  into  humus  soil;  and 
from  the  accumulation  of  organic  matter  along 
lake  and  seashore  and  river  margins  and  its  de- 
composition. 

The  most  important  chemical  elements  in  the 
soil  necessary  to  plants  are  oxygen,  hydrogen, 
nitrogen,  silicon,  carbon,  sulphur,  phosphorus, 
aluminum,  potassium,  calcium,  magnesium  and 
iron. 

Oxygen  is  found  in  combination  with  all  ele- 
ments named  in  more  than  half  of  all  known 
rocks. 

Carbon  occurs  in  soil  as  part  of  all  humus 
or  organic  matter  and  unites  with  calcium  to 
form  carbonates  of  lime;  with  oxygen  to  form 
carbon  dioxid,  which  plays  an  important  part 
in  the  solution  of  plant-food  and  is  a  plant-food 
in  the  atmosphere. 

Sulfur  occurs  in  the  soil  abundantly  as  cal- 
cium sulf ate,  gypsum  or  land-plaster,  an  im- 
portant fertilizer.  Sulfur  is  an  important  part 
of  organic  compounds. 

162 


SOIL 

Hydrogen  in  water  is  necessary  for  the  ab- 
sorption of  mineral  salts  in  the  soil  and  the  life 
processes  of  animals  and  plants. 

Phosphorus  occurs  in  the  oldest  known  rocks 
and  has  been  concentrated  from  the  soil  in  tis- 
sues of  plants  and  animals.  Deposits  of  animal 
remains  form  valuable  sources  of  commercial 
fertilizers. 

Nitrogen,  which  is  low  in  its  chemical  affini- 
ties, is  most  abundant  in  air  as  free  nitrogen  and 
least  abundant  in  compounds  in  the  earth's  crust. 
It  occurs  in  humus  and  decaying  tissues  of  ani- 
mals and  plants,  and  is  converted  into  nitric 
acid,  which  is  soluble  and  available  to  plants. 

Aluminum  is  abundant  in  the  earth's  crust 
and  is  a  fundamental  constituent  of  true  clay 
derived  from  feldspar  and  mica. 

Calcium  and  magnesium  are  indispensable  to 
plant-food  and  collect  largely  in  seeds  of  plants, 
as  fruit  and  corn. 

Potash  is  widely  distributed  as  a  constituent 
of  feldspar,  mica  and  kaolin  beds.  Potash, 
magnesium  and  calcium  aid  in  the  transfer  of 
starch-forming  parts  to  seed,  root  and  tubers. 
Plants  can  not  thrive  in  soil  destitute  of  nitrogen, 
potash,  calcium,  magnesium  and  phosphorus. 

A  heavy  clay  soil  allows  the  threading  of 
roots  with  difficulty.  A  light  sandy  soil  admits 
of  an  equitable  distribution  of  roots.  Light  and 

163 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

heavy  soil  refer  to  the  ease  of  tillage,  which  is 
necessary  to  give  the  soil  proper  physical  con- 
ditions and  make  the  plant-food  locked  up  in  the 
soil  available  for  plants.  When  a  crop  is  har- 
vested the  elements  secured  from  earth  and  air, 
locked  up  in  the  plant-tissue,  are  removed  and 
the  soil  depleted  to  that  extent,  and  fertility  must 
be  renewed.  This  may  be  done  by  proper  tillage, 
application  of  pure  mineral  fertilizers,  barn- 
yard manures  or  green  cover  crops,  which  when 
plowed  in  will  add  humus  to  the  soil.  Nitrogen 
is  the  most  important  of  all  soil  ingredients,  and 
is  most  rapidly  depleted  by  faulty  management. 
It  exists  as  free  nitrogen  in  the  soil,  and  is  essen- 
tial to  the  life  of  certain  microscopic  forms  of 
plants,  which  use  it  and  render  it  available  to 
higher  plants.  It  occurs  temporarily  in  a  tran- 
sition state  as  ammonia  and  nitrous  acid,  which 
pass  rapidly  into  nitric  acid,  from  which  most 
of  the  higher  plants  derive  their  chief  supply. 
The  humus  in  soil  is  supplied  by  roots  of  field- 
crops,  especially  clovers  and  the  leguminous 
plants,  and  passes  through  a  process  of  fermen- 
tation, supplying  nitric  acid,  which  is  soluble 
and  available  to  plants. 

One  of  the  chief  sources  of  the  supply  of 
nitrogen  is  the  free  nitrogen-fixing  bacteria, 
which  infest  the  roots  of  leguminous  plants. 
They  are  micro-organisms  which  settle  on  the 

164 


SOIL 

roots  of  plants  congenial  to  them,  causing  the 
formation  of  tubercles.  It  is  an  association  of 
organisms  for  mutual  advantage — the  plants 
supplying  nourishment  for  the  bacteria,  and  the 
bacteria  supplying  plants  with  nitrogenous  com- 
pounds from  the  soil-air.  Other  plants  are  de- 
pendent for  their  nitrogen  upon  the  nitric  acid 
and  ammonia  in  the  soil.  A  large  part  of  the 
nitric  acid  in  the  soil  is  a  final  product  of  the 
life  processes  carried  on  in  the  soil  in  the  decom- 
position of  manures  and  other  organic  matter. 
Ammonia,  the  odor  of  which  is  present  during 
the  fermentation  of  manures,  is  produced  from 
the  compounds  of  nitrogen  in  plant-issues  and 
excretions  of  animals  through  action  of  certain 
bacteria.  The  same  process  takes  place  in  the 
soil  when  organic  matter  decays.  The  ammonia 
is  seized  upon  by  nitrous  ferments  reducing  it 
to  nitrous  acid,  and  the  nitrous  acid  is  seized 
upon  by  other  bacteria  converting  it  into  nitric 
acid,  in  which  form  it  is  used  by  plants.  When 
plants  are  used  as  food  by  animals,  and  animals 
by  man,  the  circuit  is  extended. 

The  transfer  of  plant-food  in  solution  is  due 
to  the  capillary  movement  of  the  surface  film  of 
water  around  the  soil-grains.  The  capillary 
water  in  contact  with  the  soil-grain  dissolves  the 
surface  molecules  of  mineral  matter  and  nitrog- 
enous compounds.  The  solution  continues  un- 

165 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

til  the  water  of  the  soil-film  is  saturated.  The 
amount  of  plant-food  in  solution  increases  with 
the  temperature  and  is  moved  from  place  to 
place  by  capillary  water.  Root-hairs  of  plants 
utilize  portions  of  dissolved  mineral  matter  and 
cause  solution  to  go  on  at  a  more  rapid  rate. 
The  process  by  which  food-laden  water  enters 
root-hairs,  rises  in  the  stem,  and  into  the  leaves 
and  sunshine  above,  is  called  osmosis. 

When  two  liquid  substances  are  separated  by 
a  membrane,  through  which  these  liquids  can 
pass,  the  greater  flow  is  toward  the  denser  solu- 
tion. A  cucumber  put  into  fresh  water  will  be- 
come crisp,  because  the  exchange  of  liquids  is 
more  rapid  toward  the  cell-sap ;  put  into  strong 
salt  water  the  cell-sap  flows  more  rapidly  into 
the  dense  salt  water,  and  the  cucumber  shrivels. 
A  cooked  prune  or  raisin  becomes  plump  for  the 
same  reason.  If  the  water  is  consumed  as  plant- 
food  or  lost  by  evaporation  or  transpiration,  the 
osmotic  pressure  at  that  point  is  diminished,  and 
the  flow  from  adjoining  cells  makes  good  the 
loss.  Water  acts  as  a  medium  through  which 
mineral  salts  in  solution  are  carried  to  different 
parts  of  the  plants.  The  assimilated  products 
are  transferred  to  be  stored  in  seeds,  leaves, 
roots  and  stems,  while  the  superfluous  water 
passes  into  the  air  by  transpiration  and  evapo- 
ration. 

166 


SOIL 

Large  amounts  of  water  are  necessary  to 
maintain  the  functions  of  plants  due  to  rapid 
evaporation  from  the  extreme  exposure  of  foli- 
age, and  the  physiological  processes,  which  de- 
mand large  movements  of  water  in  growing 
tissues.  The  water  capacity  of  soil  is  an  im- 
portant factor  in  determining  its  value  for  gar- 
dening purposes.  In  general,  the  finer  the  soil- 
grain  the  more  soil-water  will  be  held,  and  the 
coarser  the  soil-grain,  the  greater  the  number  of 
spaces  larger  than  capillary  size,  the  less  soil- 
moisture  will  be  held.  It  is  necessary  for  the 
best  results  to  give  constant  and  careful  tillage 
to  secure  the  proper  texture  of  soil.  All  water 
which  the  soil  may  contain  is  not  available  to 
plants.  About  half  of  their  saturated  amounts 
must  be  drained  away  before  soil  can  contain 
enough  air  to  maintain  breathing  of  ordinary 
roots  and  germinating  seeds.  A  thorough  water- 
ing every  few  days  is  better  than  a  slight  appli- 
cation every  day.  To  prevent  evaporation  the 
surface  of  the  soil  should  be  stirred  to  the  depth 
of  three  inches  to  make  an  effective  earth  mulch. 
Firming  the  loose  soil  tends  to  increase  mois- 
ture in  surface  soil  at  the  expense  of  the  deeper 
layers,  and  increases  the  rate  of  evaporation. 


167 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

FEKTILIZEKS 

WHEN  a  child  has  a  garden,  he  wants  a  good 
one,  and  there  is  nothing  more  important  to  a 
garden  than  a  good  fertile  soil.  It  should  con- 
tain those  elements  which  are  found  in  plants 
and  in  such  a  form  as  to  be  available.  When  the 
soil  is  exhausted  of  these  elements  the  deficiency 
must  be  supplied  by  an  application  of  fertilizers. 
Potash,  nitrogen  and  phosphoric  acid  exist  in 
large  amounts  in  plant-tissues  and  are  most 
liable  to  be  exhausted  from  the  soil.  Manures  or 
fertilizers  are  applied  to  the  soil  for  the  purpose 
of  increasing  fertility;  this  is  largely  accom- 
plished by  supplying  nitrogen ;  potash  and  phos- 
phoric acid.  There  are  two  kinds  of  manures — 
farm-yard  manure  or  other  natural  products 
and  commercial  fertilizers;  their  functions  are 
twofold ;  they  supply  elements  of  plant-food  and 
ameliorate  the  physical  conditions  of  the  soil. 
Clay  and  compact  soils  are  made  more  open  and 
porous  by  the  application  of  natural  manures; 
they  admit  air  and  water  to  direct  contact  with 
the  dormant  plant-food,  which  being  acted  upon, 

168 


FERTILIZERS 

is  set  free  and  made  available.  Light  sandy  soil 
has  little  water-holding  capacity  and  is  greatly 
improved  by  the  use  of  natural  manures;  the 
organic  matter  occupies  the  open  spaces  of  sand, 
making  it  more  compact  and  more  capable  of 
holding  water  and  plant-food  in  soluble  form. 
Commercial  fertilizers  only  supply  plant-food, 
and  do  not  improve  the  physical  conditions  of 
the  soil.  Their  great  advantage  is  that  they  are 
soluble  and  can  be  absorbed  by  the  plants  at 
once,  while  the  nitrogen,  potash  and  phosphoric 
acid  in  manures  are  largely  insoluble  and  can 
not  be  used  by  plants  until  after  decomposition 
begins. 

Nitrogen  is  one  of  the  most  important  con- 
stituents of  fertilizers  and  one  of  the  most  ex- 
pensive. When  plants  have  a  light,  sickly  ap- 
pearance and  their  leaves  are  not  in  a  good 
healthy  condition,  it  is  evident  that  there  is  a 
lack  of  nitrogen  in  the  soil.  Nitrates  and  am- 
monia are  soluble  and  can  be  distributed  through 
the  soil  in  soil-moisture,  being  readily  absorbed 
by  the  root-hair  of  plants.  The  supply  of  nitro- 
gen is  derived  from  dried  blood,  dried  meat  or 
animal  matter,  animal  waste,  dried  garbage  of 
cities;  other  animal  products  less  useful  are 
leather,  wool,  hair,  cottonseed-meal,  linseed- 
meal,  waste  from  castor- oil  beans  after  extrac- 
tion of  oils.  Valuable  sources  of  nitrogen  are 

169 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

guano,  the  excrement  of  sea-birds,  obtained  from 
the  shore  of  Peru  and  the  islands  off  that  coast ; 
sulfate  of  ammonia;  and  nitrate  of  soda — Chili 
saltpeter.  Phosphates  are  derived  chiefly  from 
bones  of  animals,  raw  bones,  bone-meal,  bone- 
ash,  and  the  mineral  phosphates  derived  from 
the  rock  phosphates  of  South  Carolina,  Florida 
and  Tennessee. 

For  school-garden  purposes  the  soil  should 
be  thoroughly  treated  with  a  dressing  of  farm- 
manure  which  by  decomposition  will  gradually 
be  available  for  growing  plants  and  maturing 
seeds.  A  complete  commercial  fertilizer  contains 
nitrogen,  phosphoric  acid  and  potash,  and  will 
supply  food  to  the  plants  before  the  manures 
are  in  proper  condition  for  the  purpose.  It 
should  be  thoroughly  mixed  with  the  soil  and  not 
allowed  to  be  in  contact  with  the  seeds  and  ten- 
der roots,  as  it  will  cause  them  to  decay.  A  sec- 
ond or  third  application  may  be  necessary,  but 
it  is  bad  management  to  apply  large  quantities 
at  once — more  than  can  be  used  by  plants,  as  it 
is  soluble,  and  may  be  lost  by  leaching  away  be- 
yond the  reach  of  the  root  systems.  The  little 
plantlet  in  the  seed  is  supplied  with  organized 
plant-food  stored  in  the  seed  for  the  purpose  by 
the  parent  plant  and  utilized  in  developing  root 
and  stem.  When  roots  begin  to  thread  their  way 
through  the  soil  they  absorb  the  soluble  elements 

170 


FERTILIZERS 

supplied  by  the  commercial  fertilizers,  and  a 
strong  system  of  leaves  and  stems  is  established. 
Natural  manures  contain  all  the  elements  of 
plant-food  and  will  develop  strong,  vigorous 
plants  and  an  abundant  harvest.  They  are  gen- 
erally applied  in  a  rotted  or  partially  rotted  con- 
dition. Horse  manures  are  used  for  hotbeds, 
because  of  their  heating  qualities;  and  cow 
manure,  mixed  with  soil,  forms  a  good,  rich 
potting  earth.  Nitrogen  stimulates  the  vegeta- 
tive systems  and  produces  rapid  growth  and 
rich,  dark  foliage,  while  phosphoric  acid  pro- 
duces well-developed  plump  seeds  and  fruits; 
potash  increases  bloom  and  intensifies  color. 

Compost  properly  prepared  is  an  important 
adjunct  to  a  garden.  It  is  especially  important 
for  window-boxes  and  roof-gardens  and  for  im- 
proving the  soil  of  school  grounds.  It  is  made 
of  sods,  secured  from  a  rich  pasture  or  meadow, 
and  piled  in  alternate  layers  of  sod  and  manure. 
Organic  waste  matter  from  the  garden  may  be 
used,  such  as  garden  litter,  trimmings  and  fallen 
leaves.  The  compost  heap  must  be  turned  sev- 
eral times  to  insure  complete  rotting,  and  if 
necessary  thoroughly  moistened  with  liquid 
manure. 

Crops  should  be  classified  for  purposes  of 
fertilization  and  cultivation  according  to  their 
period  of  growth.  Trees  and  shrubs  require  a 

171 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

long  period  for  the  development  of  leaves,  stems 
and  wood,  and  the  quantity  of  flowers  and  fruit 
depends  upon  the  efficiency  of  the  work  done  by 
the  vegetative  parts.  Potash,  phosphoric  acid 
and  lime  contribute  to  the  growth  and  hardening 
of  the  wood  and  the  maturing  of  the  fruit.  Suffi- 
cient nitrogen  must  be  supplied  to  preserve  vig- 
orous, vegetative  activity  of  trees  and  shrubs. 
Potash  is  most  important  to  flowers  and  herba- 
ceous plants,  and  in  the  form  of  ground  bone 
furnishes  phosphoric  acid  and  nitrogen.  Com- 
mercial fertilizers  are  concentrated  forms  of 
nitrogen,  phosphoric  acid  and  potash.  Lime 
improves  the  physical  condition  of  the  soil,  over- 
comes acidity  and  aids  the  plant  in  setting  free 
unavailable  plant-food. 

Some  plants  are  cultivated  for  their  great 
development  of  leaves,  as  lettuce,  spinach,  Brus- 
sels sprouts,  cabbage,  celery  and  rhubarb ;  others, 
for  their  storehouses  of  nourishment,  to  be  used 
for  developing  flowers  and  maturing  seeds,  as 
radishes,  beets,  turnips,  parsnips  and  potatoes; 
others  again  are  raised  for  their  fruit  or  seeds, 
as  cucumbers,  squashes,  pumpkins,  melons,  to- 
matoes, beans,  peas  and  corn.  Plants  with  large 
leaves,  as  cabbage,  cauliflower,  Brussels  sprouts 
and  lettuce,  make  a  great  demand  upon  the  soil. 
They  require  nitrogen  and  phosphoric  acid,  and 
with  light  soils  some  potash.  Care  should  be 

172 


FERTILIZERS 

taken  not  to  use  too  much  nitrogen  at  first,  as 
the  plants  are  liable  to  go  to  leaves,  but  after  the 
head  has  begun  to  take  shape  the  nitrogen  may 
be  applied  in  a  form  immediately  available,  as 
nitrate  of  soda. 

Lettuce  should  be  stimulated  in  its  develop- 
ment by  an  abundant  application  of  nitrogenous 
food.  Sow  seeds  in  rows  one  inch  deep,  twenty- 
five  to  fifty  seeds  to  a  foot,  and  cover  with  one- 
fourth  to  one-half  of  an  inch  of  fine  soil  and 
firm  with  the  hand  or  the  hoe. 

Radishes  require  rich  friable  soil,  heavily 
manured  and  thoroughly  mixed.  The  quick- 
growing  varieties  mature  in  from  three  to  six 
weeks  and  should  be  used  before  they  become 
pithy.  Sow  in  drills  an  inch  deep,  ten  to  eighteen 
inches  apart  and  cover  with  one-half  of  an  inch 
of  soil  and  carefully  firm. 

Peas  should  be  planted  as  soon  as  the  soil 
can  be  worked,  in  well-drained  sandy  soil,  in 
double  rows,  in  trenches  four  to  six  inches  apart. 
Fill  in  the  trench  as  the  peas  grow.  In  heavy 
soils  the  seeds  should  be  within  an  inch  of  the 
surface.  They  acquire  nitrogen  through  the 
agency  of  nitrifying  bacteria  and  require  phos- 
phoric acid  and  potash.  To  secure  a  continued 
season  of  production,  the  vegetative  parts,  the 
roots,  stem  and  leaves,  must  be  stimulated  by 
nitrogenous  food. 

173 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

Beans  obtain  nitrogen  through  nitrifying 
bacteria  and  must  be  supplied  with  phosphoric 
acid  and  potash  in  some  form  of  manure. 

Beets  and  turnips  are  developed  by  applica- 
tion of  nitrogen  and  phosphoric  acid. 

Carrots  require  loose,  friable,  warm  soil, 
well  fertilized  with  barn  manure  and  an  appli- 
cation of  some  rapidly  available  potash  fertil- 
izer. Sow  in  rows  one  to  two  feet  apart  and 
thin  from  two  to  five  inches. 

Tomatoes  are  tropical  and  require  a  warm 
soil  and  climate  and  a  sunny,  open  place  in  the 
garden.  The  plants  are  generally  started  under 
glass  and  when  the  weather  permits  are  set  out 
from  three  to  five  feet  each  way.  The  soil  best 
adapted  is  heavily  enriched  barnyard  manures, 
with  a  commercial  fertilizer  rich  in  nitrogen 
and  potash  worked  into  the  soil  at  the  time  of 
planting. 

Cucumbers  and  squashes  thrive  upon  a  rather 
compact  clay  soil,  while  watermelons  and  musk- 
melons  require  a  light,  warm,  sandy  soil.  A 
continuous  growth  is  desired,  and  the  slow  de- 
composition of  farmyard  manures  will  provide 
a  continuous  supply  of  plant-food.  If  commer- 
cial fertilizers  are  used  they  should  be  applied 
frequently.  Too  much  nitrogen  causes  rapid 
growth  and  an  abundant  fruit  of  poor  quality. 

Corn  makes  heavy  demands  upon  the  soil. 
174 


•  •      ? 

OF  THE 


UNIVERSITY 


To  provide  a  sufficient  amount  of  food  the  soil 
must  be  heavily  treated  with  barnyard  manure. 
Before  planting  put  a  small  amount  of  commer- 
cial fertilizer  in  each  hill  and  mix  it  thoroughly 
with  the  soil. 

Potatoes  require  the  greatest  amount  of  pot- 
ash and  the  least  amount  of  phosphoric  acid. 
Heavy  application  of  manures  produces  good 
results.  Thoroughly  mix  good  commercial  fer- 
tilizer in  the  hill  or  trench  in  which  the  potatoes 
are  to  be  planted. 


175 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

INSECTS 

WHEN  children  begin  their  gardening  they 
will  find  that  plants  have  insect  pests  numerous 
and  varied  and  difficult  to  combat.  The  corn 
bows  to  the  cutworm;  the  potato  yields  to  the 
Colorado  beetle  and  wire  worm ;  the  squash- vine 
wilts  with  the  borers ;  the  tomatoes  sacrifice  their 
leaves  to  the  caterpillars. 

When  we  consider  that  four  hundred  million 
dollars'  worth  of  the  agricultural  products  of 
the  United  States  is  annually  destroyed  by  in- 
sects; that  the  codling-moth  alone  demands  a 
yearly  tax  of  three  million  dollars  from  one 
State,  the  subject  of  economic  entomology  as- 
sumes great  significance  and  should  be  more 
thoroughly  understood,  and  means  for  keeping 
insect  pests  in  check  more  thoroughly  studied. 

Many  insects  are  injurious  and  many  bene- 
ficial. Children  are  interested  in  them,  and  by 
practical  experience  in  combating  the  harmful 
species  will  acquire  much  valuable  information 
concerning  them.  It  is  important  to  distinguish 
between  the  injurious  and  the  beneficial  species 

176 


INSECTS 

and  determine  the  best  means  of  destroying  the 
one  and  protecting  the  other.  The  best  means 
of  combating  insects  must  be  determined  by  the 
manner  in  which  they  feed  and  by  their  life  his- 
tories. Insects  that  have  biting  mouth-parts  are 
destroyed  by  applying  poison  to  the  surface  of 
the  leaves  upon  which  theytfeed.  Those  which 
have  sucking  mouth-parts  must  be  treated  by 
remedies  applied  to  their  bodies.  The  most  diffi- 
cult to  reach  are  the  borers;  they  work  in  the 
stems  of  plants  and  are  most  easily  destroyed  in 
the  egg  stage. 

Some  mechanical  means  of  extermination  are 
hand-picking  for  the  tomato  and  other  large 
larvae  and  tree-borers  and  collecting  and  destroy- 
ing eggs  of  the  tent-caterpillar.  Paris  green,  or 
some  other  poison,  must  be  used  in  the  case  of 
insects  which  have  biting  mouth-parts ;  and  lime, 
salt,  sulfur,  kerosene  emulsion,  or  some  other 
emulsion,  is  necessary  for  those-  insects  which 
have  sucking  mouth-parts  and  which  would  not 
be  affected  by  poison  applied  to  the  surface  of 
the  leaves.  Some  insects  are  controlled  more 
easily  in  one  stage  of  their  life  history  than  in 
another.  It  would  be  more  simple  to  destroy  a 
mass  of  tent-caterpillar  eggs  than  the  caterpillars 
that  come  from  the  eggs,  or  the  moths  that  de- 
velop from  the  caterpillars. 

To  combat  insects  most  effectually  it  is  neces- 
13  177 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

sary  to  have  a  knowledge  of  their  life  histories 
or  metamorphoses.  Some  develop  without  meta- 
morphosis. The  stages  are,  egg,  immature  in- 
sect and  adult;  as,  a  silvery  fishmoth.  Many 
have  incomplete  metamorphosis.  The  stages 
are  egg,  nymph  (several  stages)  and  adult;  as, 
locust,  cricket,  dragon-fly,  damsel-fly,  May-fly. 
Some  of  the  most  injurious  insects  have  complete 
metamorphosis.  The  stages  are,  egg,  larva, 
pupa,  imago,  or  adult;  as,  moths,  butterflies, 
bees,  ants,  beetles  and  flies. 

There  are  nineteen  orders  of  insects,  only 
six  of  which  are  of  great  economic  significance. 
These  are  Orthoptera,  Hemiptera,  Lepidoptera, 
Diptera,  Coleoptera  and  Hymenoptera;  they 
include  some  of  the  most  numerous  and  destruc- 
tive though  interesting  species. 

Hordes  of  insects  are  destroyed  by  Nature's 
insecticides:  the  wind  removes  them  from  the 
trees ;  changes  of  temperature  destroy  many,  be- 
cause they  can  endure  extremes  but  not  varia- 
tions in  temperature;  rain  destroys  plant-lice; 
fire  makes  havoc  with  insects  in  all  stages,  espe- 
cially those  infesting  decayed  wood ;  predaceous 
insects  devour  other  insects ;  the  air  is  cleared  of 
gnats  and  flies  by  dragon-flies,  and  water-insects 
are  destroyed  by  the  scavenger-beetles;  the  ich- 
neumon-flies deposit  their  eggs  in  the  larvae  of 
other  insects  and  in  the  mines  of  the  engraver- 

178 


INSECTS 

beetle.  By  removing  the  bark  of  trees  the  won- 
derful but  destructive  work  of  these  beetles  may 
be  observed  and  studied.  The  praying-mantis 
is  a  unique  variety  which  has  interesting  habits 
and  destroys  great  numbers  of  other  insects. 
Frogs  and  toads  render  great  service  in  the  gar- 
den and  are  wonderfully  adapted  by  nature  in 
the  structure  of  the  tongue  for  the  work  they  do. 
All  lady-bugs  except  one  species  are  beneficial 
and  should  be  protected.  They  destroy  the  San 
Jose  Scale  and  other  serious  scale-pests  and 
aphids.  Birds  prey  upon  the  eggs,  larvae,  pupae 
and  adult  insects.  They  are  natural  enemies  of 
insects,  and  the  valuable  work  they  do  in  keep- 
ing them  in  check  is  not  sufficiently  understood 
or  appreciated. 


179 


CHAPTER   XXV 

SOME   TKEE   PESTS 

THE  children  will  find  that  trees,  shrubs, 
vines,  herbaceous  plants  and  vegetables  are  at- 
tacked by  many  kinds  of  insects. 

One  of  the  attractive  features  of  any  city 
street  or  yard  is  the  beauty  of  its  shade-trees. 
In  recent  years  some  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
well-known  shade-trees  have  been  devastated  by 
imported  insects.  To  check  their  ravages  some- 
times requires  an  act  of  legislation,  the  support 
of  public  opinion,  and  much  personal  effort.  It 
is  in  the  power  of  school-children  to  do  great 
service  in  forwarding  this  work.  In  one  city 
children  destroyed  thousands  of  tent-caterpillar 
egg-masses,  thus  preventing  the  trees  from  being 
defoliated. 

Galerucella  luteola  —  European  Elm-Leaf 
Beetle — is  a  serious  menace  to  the  Elm-Tree.  It 
hibernates  in  large  numbers  in  protected  places, 
under  roofs,  shingles,  clapboards  and  in  empty 
buildings.  In  this  stage  it  may  be  destroyed  in 
great  numbers.  As  soon  as  the  buds  of  the  Elm 
open,  the  beetles  emerge  and  feed  greedily  upon 

180 


SOME    TREE    PESTS 

the  young  leaves,  which  soon  become  perforated. 
In  about  ten  days  the  egg-laying  begins,  the  fe- 
male feeding  and  laying  eggs  alternately  during 
a  period  of  several  weeks.  The  yellow  spindle- 
shaped  eggs  are  laid  on  the  under  surfaces  of  the 
leaves,  from  which  the  young  larvae  emerge  in 
a  week's  time  and  begin  feeding  upon  the  tender 
foliage.  The  great  damage  is  done  by  the  larvae. 
When  full-grown  they  are  about  half  an  inch  in 
length,  light  yellow  in  color,  with  black  mark- 
ings arranged  on  the  back  to  form  two  conspicu- 
ous stripes.  When  they  are  mature  they  drop 
from  the  tips  of  the  branches  and  pupate  in 
masses  in  sheltered  places.  The  mature  beetles 
emerge  from  the  orange-colored  pupae  in  five  to 
ten  days  and  begin  to  feed  upon  the  foliage. 
There  are  two  broods  a  year.  Repeated  defolia- 
tion saps  the  tree  of  its  vitality  and  the  weakened 
condition  invites  the  attack  of  other  injurious 
insects — bark-beetles  and  borers — and  the  death 
of  the  tree  is  often  the  result.  Two  female  bee- 
tles, observed  for  four  weeks,  laid  respectively 
four  hundred  and  thirty-one  and  six  hundred 
and  twenty-three  eggs. 

Orgyia  leucostigma — Tussock  Moth — severely 
injures  the  Elm,  Linden,  Horse-Chestnut,  Silver 
Maple  and  other  trees.  Its  increase  is  largely 
controlled  by  parasites.  The  eggs  are  laid  by 
wingless  females  in  late  summer  or  autumn  on 

181 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

old  cocoons,  and  are  covered  with  a  white  froth 
which  becomes  hard  and  brittle.  The  larvae 
hatch  in  the  spring  and  attain  maturity  at  mid- 
summer. They  are  conspicuous  and  beautiful, 
with  a  characteristic  black  plume  on  each  side 
of  the  head  directed  forward,  and  a  similar  one 
pointing  backward  from  the  posterior  part  of 
the  body,  and  a  row  of  short,  dense  tufts  down 
the  upper  surface  of  the  body.  The  loose  yellow 
cocoon  may  be  found  in  sheltered  places  on  trees 
and  fences.  In  two  weeks  the  moths  emerge  and 
deposit  eggs  for  the  second  brood. 

Clisiocampa  americana — Tent- Caterpillar — 
is  responsible  for  the  unsightly  webs  which  are 
common  in  the  spring,  as  those  of  the  Fall  Web- 
Worm  are  in  the  summer  and  autumn.  The 
favorite  food  of  this  species  is  the  wild  cherry, 
although  the  apple,  cherry  and  peach  trees  are 
frequently  attacked.  The  compact  brown  egg- 
mass  near  the  tips  of  the  twigs  is  deposited  in 
late  summer  and  covered  with  a  water-proof 
substance  which  protects  the  eggs  during  the 
winter.  The  eggs  hatch  early  in  the  spring  and 
the  larvae  feed  greedily  on  the  opening  buds 
and  growing  leaves.  Unlike  the  Fall  Web- 
Worms,  which  spin  their  webs  at  the  ends  of  the 
branches,  the  Tent-Caterpillar  selects  a  fork  in 
the  branches.  The  full-grown  caterpillars,  about 
the  first  or  middle  of  June,  crawl  actively  about 

182 


SOME    TREE    PESTS 

the  ground  along  the  fences  and  walls,  seeking 
a  favorable  spot  in  which  to  spin  their  cocoons. 
The  reddish-brown  moths  emerge  in  two  or  three 
weeks  and  fly  by  night  to  deposit  their  eggs. 

Hypantria  cunea — Fall  Web- Worm — appears 
in  late  summer.  The  larvae  spin  their  webs  on 
the  tips  of  the  branches  and  constantly  enlarge 
them,  as  they  generally  feed  under  cover.  The 
Butternut,  Ash,  Oak,  Maple,  Linden  and  Horse- 
Chestnut  fall  an  equal  prey.  The  larvae  when 
full  grown  are  one-half  to  two  inches  in  length, 
with  yellow  longitudinal  markings,  and  are  cov- 
ered with  grayish  hairs.  They  go  into  pupation 
in  September,  and  the  white  moths  do  not  emerge 
until  the  following  July.  Their  natural  enemies 
are  the  Cuckoos  and  the  Orioles,  and  they  are 
parasitized  by  various  ichneumon-flies. 

Euvanessa  antiopa — Spiny  Elm  Caterpillar, 
or  "Mourning  Cloak" — is  the  familiar  dark 
brownish-purple  butterfly  with  a  cream-colored 
band  on  the  edge  with  dashes  of  blue.  The  larva 
feeds  upon  the  Poplar,  Willow  and  Elm.  It 
hibernates  as  the  adult  butterfly,  and  as  soon  as 
the  leaves  are  fully  grown  the  female  lays  eggs  in 
clusters  of  from  twenty  to  two  or  three  hundred 
around  the  smaller  twigs.  The  larvae  hatch  in 
about  two  or  three  weeks  and  feed  in  companies 
on  the  tender  portions  of  the  leaves,  and  later  on 
the  veins.  They  mature  in  about  four  weeks 

183 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

into  caterpillars  about  two  inches  long,  sprinkled 
with  gray,  with  numerous  red-marked,  branched 
spines.  They  then  leave  the  trees  and  in  some 
protected  place  transform  into  the  chrysalis  stage 
from  which  the  adult  butterflies  emerge  in  about 
two  weeks.  They  have  many  natural  enemies — 
the  eggs  and  the  larvae  are  both  parasitized. 

Pulvinaria  .  innumerabilis  —  Cottony  Maple 
Scale — attacks  the  Maple-Tree  and  may  be  recog- 
nized by  the  soft  brown  scale  and  cottony  mass 
which  projects  from  it.  The  cottony  mass  is 
really  a  wax  or  glue,  in  which  are  embedded 
innumerable  minute  eggs  from  which  the  larvae 
hatch  and  scatter  in  all  directions.  They  insert 
their  sucking  tubes  into  the  leaf  or  twig  and 
begin  the  formation  of  a  scale.  They  are  some- 
times very  destructive. 


184 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

SOME    COMMON   GARDEN   PESTS 

Doryphora  decem-lineata— Colorado  Potato 
Beetle — is  familiar  to  every  child  who  has 
worked  in  a  garden.  It  hibernates  in  the  ground 
or  in  rubbish,  and  in  the  spring  the  female  lays 
from  five  hundred  to  a  thousand  eggs,  which 
hatch  in  from  five  to  seven  days.  The  grubs  are 
full  grown  in  two  or  three  weeks  and  pupate  in 
the  ground.  The  beetles  appear  in  ten  days. 
As  there  are  two  or  three  broods  a  year,  and 
both  beetles  and  grubs  feed  ravenously  upon  the 
leaves,  great  care  is  required  to  keep  them  in 
check.  Apply  Paris  green,  dry,  or  as  a  spray. 

Flea-beetles,  which  attack  the  leaves  of  pota- 
toes and  tomatoes,  are  small  beetles  which  eat 
many  holes  through  the  leaves.  Spray  with 
kerosene  emulsion  or  Bordeaux  mixture. 

The  larva  of  the  Sphinx-Moth — Phlegethon- 
tius  celeus — is  a  serious  enemy  to  the  tomato- 
plant.  It  is  very  large  and  does  great  damage. 
It  descends  into  the  ground,  where  it  transforms 
into  the  pupa  and  hibernates.  It  is  subject  to 
attacks  of  ichneumon-flies,  and  is  often  to  be 

185 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

found  covered  with  white  cocoons  of  the 
parasites. 

Pieris  rapce,  the  Cabbage  Butterfly,  is  another 
common  pest  in  the  garden.  It  is  yellow  with 
black  markings.  The  male  has  one  black  spot 
on  each  fore  wing,  and  the  female  two.  The 
metamorphosis  takes  place  in  such  a  short  time 
that  it  offers  one  of  the  best  opportunities  for 
studying  the  life  history  of  an  insect.  There  are 
several  broods  a  year.  The  eggs  are  laid  on  the 
leaves.  The  green  larvae  attain  their  growth  in 
two  weeks,  and  change  into  chrysalids  from 
which  the  butterflies  emerge  in  ten  days.  Spray- 
ing the  leaves  with  poison  is  dangerous,  and  it 
is  therefore  better  to  destroy  the  butterflies, 
though  this  is  not  a  pleasant  thing  to  recommend. 

Diabrotica  vittata,  the  Striped  Cucumber- 
Beetle,  is  a  very  familiar  inhabitant  of  the  gar- 
den. It  seems  to  be  waiting  for  the  vines  to 
come  up,  for  as  soon  as  the  tiny  leaves  appear 
above  ground  the  beetles  are  there  ready  for 
work.  Paris  green  and  tobacco-dust  are  effect- 
ive remedies. 

Anasa  tristis — Squash-Bug — hibernates,  ap- 
pears in  the  spring,  and  lays  eggs  on  the  tender 
sprouts  of  squa,sh  and  pumpkin  vines,  and  some- 
times entirely  destroy  them.  Its  near  relative  is 
the  Stink-Bug,  the  creature  which  often  gives  to 
raspberries  and  other  berries  a  disagreeable  taste. 

186 


SOME  COMMON  GARDEN  PESTS 

It  has  sucking  mouth-parts  and  feeds  upon  the 
juices  of  the  leaves,  causing  them  to  wilt  and  die. 
Destroy  the  adults  and  eggs  and  use  kerosene 
emulsion,  diluted,  for  nymphs  and  young  bugs. 

"  Lady-bug,  lady-bug,  fly  away  home,  your 
house  is  on  fire ;  your  children  will  burn ;  "  so  say 
the  children,  and  if  she  is  a  well-behaved  bug, 
she  will  spread  her  hard  beetle  wings  and  fly 
away.  Adalia  Mpunctata,  the  Twice-Stabbed 
Lady-Bug,  is  a  cunning,  busy  little  body,  and 
may  be  found  crawling  over  trees  and  plants. 
Close  observation  will  disclose  that  she  is  in 
search  of  Aphids,  or  Plant-Lice,  which  are  so 
destructive,  and  of  scale-insects,  which  do  so 
much  damage  to  trees.  She  is  a  very  beneficial 
insect  and  should  be  carefully  protected.  Asso- 
ciated with  the  Lady-Bugs  and  Plant-Lice  are 
Black  Ants.  They  come  on  an  entirely  different 
errand.  Aphids  belong  to  the  order  of  insects 
which  have  sucking  mouth-parts  and  which  feed 
upon  the  juices  of  plants.  Ants  have  discovered 
that  by  stroking  Aphids  with  their  antennae  the 
Aphids  give  out  drops  of  honey-dew,  which  the 
ants  devour  greedily.  They  have  become  so 
fond  of  it  that  they  guard  the  Aphids  very  care- 
fully and  sometimes  preserve  them  over  winter. 
For  this  reason  the  Aphids  have  been  called 
"  ant-cows." 

The  Click-Beetle's  acrobatic  feats  are  known 
187 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

to  many  boys  and  girls  who  do  not  realize  that 
he  spends  part  of  his  life  in  the  ground  as  a 
yellow  wire-worm — that  long,  slender,  hard,  yel- 
low creature,  feeding  upon  potatoes  and  the 
parts  of  plants  growing  beneath  the  ground. 
These  worms  should  all  be  destroyed. 

Calosoma  calidium — the  Fiery  Hunter — and 
other  ground  beetles  should  be  protected,  as 
they  are  predaceous  and  destroy  many  injurious 
insects. 

Lachnosterna  fusca — May-Beetle — is  one  of 
the  most  destructive  enemies  to  a  lawn  and  to 
strawberry-plants.  The  eggs  are  laid  among 
roots,  and  when  hatched  the  grubs  feed  upon 
rootlets.  They  burrow  in  the  ground  in  the 
winter,  and  do  their  feeding  in  the  spring. 
When  mature  the  grubs  transform  in  earthen 
cells  and  appear  in  May  and  June  as  reddish- 
brown  beetles  that  fly  at  night  and  are  attracted 
by  lights.  They  feed  upon  vegetation  and  some- 
times do  great  damage. 

Neumatus  ribesii,  the  imported  currant-worm, 
is  the  larva  of  the  Saw-Fly,  a  yellow-bodied  fly, 
somewhat  resembling  the  house-fly.  The  eggs 
are  laid  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaves  along  the 
veins.  The  larvae  are  exceedingly  destructive 
and  have  the  habit  of  curling  the  body  around  a 
stem  or  over  the  edge  of  a  leaf.  They  attack  the 
lower  leaves  first.  There  are  two  broods  a  year, 

188 


SOME    COMMON    GARDEN   PESTS 

and  if  the  bushes  are  treated  early  in  the  season 
with  Paris  green  they  may  be  kept  in  check. 

Libellula  basalis — Dragon-Fly — is  predace- 
ous,  with  mouth-parts  formed  for  biting.  The 
nymph-stage  is  passed  in  water  as  an  ugly  crea- 
ture, which  moves  slowly  about  in  search  of 
food.  As  the  nymph  grows  the  wing-pads  ap- 
pear, and  when  fully  developed  the  pupa  stage 
has  been  reached.  The  creature,  instead  of 
being  quiet,  now  moves  actively,  climbs  upon 
some  weed  or  rock,  sheds  its  nymph-skin,  and 
begins  its  life  in  the  open  air.  Nothing  is  more 
wonderful  in  nature  than  this  transformation. 
The  dragon-fly  is  one  of  the  beneficial  insects, 
as  it  clears  the  atmosphere  of  mosquitoes,  mites 
and  gnats. 

Cicada  tibicen,  the  insect  incorrectly  called 
Locust,  has  a  life  history  full  of  interest  to  chil- 
dren. They  are  all  familiar  with  the  peculiar 
shrill  noise  made  by  the  male  during  the  warm 
days  of  summer.  The  two  drums  by  which  this 
noise  is  made  may  be  easily  seen  on  the  under 
side  of  the  male's  body.  The  discarded  nymph- 
skins  are  commonly  seen  clinging  to  the  trunks 
of  trees  and  fences.  But  to  watch  the  creature 
emerge  from  his  nymph-skin,  to  see  the  unde- 
veloped wings  expand,  and  the  delicate  colors 
change  to  rich  dull  greens  and  browns,  is  a 
lesson  in  natural  history  that  is  not  easily 

189 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

forgotten.  The  drums  of  the  male  are  interest- 
ing, but  not  more  so  than  the  ovipositor  of  the 
female  with  which  she  cuts  slits  in  the  bark  of 
the  twigs  in  which  to  deposit  eggs.  When  the 
larvae  hatch  they  make  their  way  to  the  ground, 
where  they  remain  two  years,  sucking  the  juices 
from  the  roots  of  plants  with  the  long  sucking 
mouth-parts  so  plainly  to  be  seen  in  the  nymph 
and  adult.  A  near  relative,  Cicada  septendecim, 
retires  to  the  earth  for  seventeen  years  and  is 
called  the  Seventeen- Year  Locust. 

Papilio-polyxenes  or  Asterias — the  Black 
Swallow- Tail — is  the  beautiful  butterfly  found 
flying  among  the  flowers  in  search  of  nectar,  giv- 
ing in  return  for  the  feast  of  good  things  the 
transfer  of  pollen  from  one  flower  to  another, 
and  by  this  "  cross-pollination,"  as  it  is  called, 
helping  to  produce  a  good  crop  of  seeds.  It  de- 
velops from  the  Fennel  Caterpillar,  which  has 
green  and  black  tranverse  stripes  and  white  dots. 
To  protect  himself,  when  disturbed,  this  larva 
protrudes  two  orange-colored  horns,  which  give 
out  a  disagreeable  odor  and  defends  him  from 
his  enemies. 

Anosia  plexippus — the  Monarch  Butterfly- 
develops  from  another  striped  caterpillar  that 
feeds  upon  the  milkweed.  Its  chrysalis  is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  in  form — delicate  light 
green,  with  gold  dots.  The  male  butterfly  has 

190 


SOME    COMMON    GARDEN    PESTS 

pockets  on  the  hind  wings,  containing  scent- 
scales,  which  are  supposed  to  attract  the  females. 
It  is  an  attractively  colored  and  marked  butter- 
fly, but  is  not  attacked  by  birds  because  it  has  a 
disagreeable  taste. 

BasilarcMa  archippus — the  Viceroy  Butter- 
fly— has  no  means  of  defense,  but  by  mimicry  has 
taken  on  the  color  and  markings  of  the  Monarch, 
and  thus  escapes.  It  can  be  readily  distinguished 
by  the  black  crescent  on  the  hind  wing. 


191 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

BIRDS    IN    RELATION    TO    HORTICULTURE 

THE  importance  of  the  study  of  birds  in 
connection  with  school  gardens  is  due  to  their  de- 
pendence upon  plants  for  food. 

As  the  digestion,  breathing,  and  blood-circu- 
lation of  birds  are  extremely  rapid,  there  is  an 
enormous  expenditure  of  vital  energy,  and  great 
bodily  exhaustion ;  consequently,  a  vast  quantity 
of  food  is  required  to  repair  the  waste.  The  food 
must  be  nourishing  and  concentrated,  hence  it  con- 
sists largely  of  insects,  fruit,  and  seeds,  which 
afford  the  greatest  possible  amount  of  nutriment. 

Birds  are  divided  into  orders  and  families, 
based  upon  their  skeletal,  muscular,  and  visceral 
characteristics;  into  genera  by  external  charac- 
teristics— bill,  feet,  wings,  and  tail;  into  species 
and  subspecies  by  color  and  size.  The  muscular 
and  visceral  characteristics  are  related  to  the 
kind  of  food;  the  bill,  feet,  wings,  and  tail  to 
the  manner  of  getting  it;  the  color  and  size  are 
for  protection  and  attraction. 

Birds  are  divided  into  seventeen  orders. 
192 


BIRDS   AND    HORTICULTURE 

The  following  are  those  orders  of  birds  with 
which  children  are  apt  to  come  in  contact,  and 
which  are  most  closely  related  to  insect  life : 

Raptores — birds  of  prey — Vulture,  Hawk, 
Owl. 

Coccyges — Cuckoo,  Kingfisher. 

Pici — Woodpecker. 

Machrochires — Goatsucker,  Swift,  Humming- 
Bird. 

Passeres— Percher,  Flycatcher,  Bluebird, 
Blue  Jay,  Oriole,  Sparrow,  Finch,  Swallow, 
Vireo,  Warbler,  Wren,  Thrush. 

If  insects  destroyed  by  birds  were  allowed 
to  live  they  would  have  countless  millions  of 
descendants.  The  food  of  birds  is  varied  and 
extensive,  and  often  consists  of  articles  most 
accessible.  Each  species  attacks  certain  insects, 
and  performs  a  service  which  can  not  be  so  well 
accomplished  by  any  other  species.  Swallows, 
Swifts,  Night-hawks,  and  Whippoorwills  clear 
the  atmosphere  of  insects.  Flycatchers,  King- 
birds, Pewees^  and  Phoebes  capture  their  prey 
on  the  wing/I  Woodpeckers,  \Chickadees,  Nut- 
hatches, and  Creepers  explore  the  bark  of  trees 
for  eggs,  grubsi  and  ants,  j  No  form  of  attack  is 
as  effective  as  tne  destruction  of  eggs.  Warblers 
and  Vireos  search  diligently  for  the  crawling 
prey  among  the  trees.  Blackbirds  frequent  the 
14  -  193 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

swamps  and  meadows,  seeking  what  they  may 
devour.  The  Thrush  Family — Robins,  Blue- 
birdsJWilson,  Hermit,  and  Olive-Backed  Thrush 
—which  are  mainly  insectivorous,  prey  upon 
grasshoppers,  crickets,  bugs,  beetles,  caterpillars, 
spiders  and  cutworms.  Hawks  and  Owls  indus- 
triously search  meadow  and  marsh  for  voracious 
and  destructive  rodents.  If  left  unmolested, 
birds  would  easily  succeed  in  preserving  the 
balance  of  nature.  The  most  destructive  animal 
enemies  of  plants  are  insects.  Birds  are  ex- 
tremely useful  in  keeping  insects  in  check,  and 
it  is  only  necessary  to  inquire  into  the  habits  of 
the  birds,  and  gain  some  definite  information  re- 
garding the  kind  and  quantity  of  their  food,  to 
realize  the  importance  not  only  of  protecting  the 
birds,  but  of  encouraging  them  to  nest  about 
gardens  and  orchards. 

Woodpeckers  render  good  service  to  fruit- 
growers and  gardeners.  They  are  of  great  eco- 
nomic importance,  destroying  insects  that  are 
destructive  to  trunks  of  trees.  They  are  won- 
derfully constructed  for  the  work  they  accom- 
plish— toes  arranged  for  clinging  to  the  trunk  of 
the  tree;  keen  eyes;  acute  hearing;  stiff  tail- 
feathers,  forming  a  support  while  at  work ;  long, 
strong,  chisel-like  bill  for  removing  bark;  long, 
protrusive,  and  barbed  tongue  for  removing 
grubs  and  insects.  Downy  and  Hairy  Wood- 

194 


BIRDS   AND    HORTICULTURE 

peckers  continue  the  search  during  winter. 
Much  of  the  food  of  the  Downy  ^Woodpecker 
consists  of  antsA  plant-lice,  wood-borers,  larvae 
and  adults  of  wood-boring  coleopterous  insects, 
beetles  on  foliage  and  bark,  and  caterpillars  that 
bore  into  the  trees  or  live  on  the  leaves.  They 
destroy  the  bugs  that  give  berries  a  disagree- 
able taste,  bark-lice,  and  scale-insects.  The  food 
of  the  Hairy  Woodpecker  is  the  same  as  that  of 
the  Downy.  It  destroys  fewer  ants,  but  feeds 
upon  beetle  larvae,  caterpillars,  and  winter  hiber- 
nating insects  and  insect  eggs.  The  Flicker,  or 
Golden- Winged  Woodpecker,  eats  an  enormous 
number  of  ants,  but  fewer  beetles  and  cater- 
pillars. The  food  is  secured  largely  from  the 
ground,  where  his  color  makes  him  the  least  con- 
spicuous of  the  woodpeckers. 

Nuthatches  and  Creepers  destroy  an  immense 
number  of  eggs  and  larvae,  examining  every 
crack  and  crevice  in  the  bark  of  trees.  Wood- 
peckers run  up  the  trees.  Creepers  run  spirally 
from  the  base  of  the  trunk  to  the  top.  Nut- 
hatches run  up  or  down  or  along  the  under  side 
of  a  horizontal  limb  with  equal  facility,  perform- 
ing most  interesting  acrobatic  feats. 

The  Yellow  and  Black-Billed  Cuckoos  are 
very  valuable  to  the  gardener.  They  destroy  the 
larvae  of  moths  and  butterflies,  some  of  the  most 
serious  insect  pests.  They  render  the  greatest  ) 

195 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

service  to  the  gardener  by  destroying  many  in- 
sects that  are  not  attacked  by  other  birds.  Their 
food  consists  of  hairy  caterpillars,  tent-cater- 
pillars, fall  web-worms,  tussock  moths,  and  hosts 
of  others,  the  worst  enemies  of  plants.  Nearly 
one-half  of  their  food  consists  of  caterpillars  of 
various  and  most  destructive  species.  They  are 
shy  birds,  but  if  unmolested  will  frequent  shade- 
trees  in  towns  and  cities.  They  are  frequently 
known  as  "  rain  crows." 

The  Baltimore  Oriole  is  one  of  our  most 
attractive  and  beneficial  birds.  He  seeks  his 
food  in  the  tree-tops.  Much  of  his  summer  food 
consists  of  hairy  caterpillars,  noxious  beetles, 
plant  and  bark  lice. 

Warblers  flit  from  place  to  place  among  the 
trees  in  search  of  caterpillars  and  insects  harm- 
ful to  fruit  and  forest- trees.  Multitudes  of  war- 
blers of  several  varieties  go  through  the  orchards 
examining  the  rosettes  of  apple-leaves  and  blos- 
soms for  plant-lice. 

The  habits  of  the  Vireos  are  similar  to  those 
of  the  warblers. 

The  Black- Capped  Chickadee  is  small  and  un- 
obtrusive in  habits,  but  valuable  in  orchard  and 
forest.  All  its  food  habits  are  beneficial,  the 
food  consisting  of  noxious  insects,  and  especially 
of  insect  eggs,  eggs  of  plant-lice,  and  such  pests 
as  common  tent-caterpillars,  forest  tent-cater- 

196 


BIRDS   AND   HORTICULTURE 

pillars,  and  fall  canker-worms.  In  the  winter  it 
inspects  trunks,  branches  and  buds  for  insect 
eggs  and  hibernating  insects. 

Birds  of  prey  are  often  regarded  as  harmful, 
but,  with  few  exceptions,  are  exceedingly  valu- 
able. Hawks  and  Owls  are  the  natural  enemies 
of  rabbits  and  mice.  They  bear  the  same  rela- 
tion to  rabbits  and  mice  that  smaller  birds  bear 
to  insect  enemies. 

The  Gedar  Waxwing,  Catbird,  and  Robin  are 
fond  of  cherries  and  small  fruits.  They  eat 
more  wild  than  cultivated  fruit,  and  destroy 
many  harmful  insects,  and  probably  do  more 
good  than  harm. 

A  large  number  of  one  species  of  birds  in 
any  locality  is  apt  to  result  in  serious  dam- 
age to  crops.  When  the  natural  supply  of  food 
is  exhausted,  cultivated  varieties  are  attacked. 
Birds  are  so  important  in  keeping  weeds  and 
noxious  insects  in  check  that  every  effort  should 
be  made  to  protect  them  and  secure  their  co- 
operation. The  best  results  are  secured  by 
attracting  a  few  individuals  of  many  different 
species.  There  would  thus  be  a  demand  for 
many  different  kinds  of  food,  without  an  exces- 
sive demand  for  any  one  kind.  Each  bird  has 
its  place  in  the  economy  of  nature  and  deserves 
encouragement  and  protection. 

A  study  of  the  food  of  young  birds  is  of  the 
197 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

greatest  economic  importance.  The  service  ren- 
dered by  birds  is  greatest  when  they  are  rearing 
their  young.  Most  birds  that  feed  upon  fruit 
and  seeds  feed  their  young  on  insects.  Nestlings 
can  not  digest  hard  substances,  such  as  beetles 
and  hard  seeds,  and  their  food  must  consist  of 
soft-bodied  insects,  as  caterpillars  and  other 
larvae,  grasshoppers,  and  spiders.  The  first  week 
the  young  are  fed  almost  entirely  upon  cater- 
pillars and  spiders.  The  food  of  nestlings  has 
not  been  sufficiently  understood,  and  the  amount 
consumed  not  generally  appreciated.  The  num- 
ber of  broods  varies  with  species  and  regions. 
There  is  an  average  of  two  or  three  broods,  of 
three  to  five  each,  in  a  season.  Nestlings  demand 
most  constant  and  untiring  industry  on  the  part 
of  their  parents.  They  consume  more  than  their 
own  weight  in  a  day,  and  make  a  daily  gain  in 
weight  of  twenty  to  fifty  per  cent.  They  are 
nearly  all  mouth  and  stomach,  and  spend  almost 
all  their  waking  hours  in  eating.  It  has  been 
recorded  that  a  robin  ate  sixty  earthworms  in  a 
day.  The  kind  and  quantity  of  food  of  the  dif- 
ferent nestlings  is  of  great  importance,  since 
many  nests  are  placed  in  proximity  to  gardens, 
and  the  nestling  season  corresponds  to  the  pe- 
riod when  the  depredation  of  insects  is  most 
destructive. 

It  has  been  found  that  the  species  of  birds 
198 


BIRDS   AND    HORTICULTURE 

having  either  animal  or  vegetable  diet  rear  their 
young  upon  food  similar  to  that  which  they 
themselves  use.  Gulls,  Terns,  Pelicans,  Herons, 
and  Kingfishers  are  fish-eating  birds,  and  bring 
up  their  nestlings  on  fish.  Hawks  and  Owls  are 
birds  of  prey,  and  feed  their  young  on  birds  and 
mammals.  Insectivorous  birds,  as  Cuckoos  and 
Swallows,  feed  on  nothing  but  insects.  Exclu- 
sively graminivorous  birds,  such  as  Doves  and 
Pigeons,  feed  only  on  starchy  seed  materials. 

Birds  that  feed  upon  both  animal  and  vege- 
table matter  usually  feed  their  nestlings  entirely 
on  insects,  chiefly  injurious  kinds,  as  grasshop- 
pers and  cutworms.  Many  of  our  common 
birds  are  of  this  class.  Seed-eating  birds,  and 
those  that  subsist  on  a  mixed  animal  and  vege- 
table matter  composed  largely  of  hard  material, 
have  powerful,  muscular,  grinding  gizzards. 
Food  of  this  kind  resists  digestion  and  requires 
to  be  broken  up  in  the  stomach.  Birds  that  live 
on  insects  and  vertebrates  that  are  soft  and 
easily  digested  have  thin-walled,  comparatively 
weak,  non-muscular  stomachs.  Stomachs  of 
newly  hatched  nestlings  are,  in  most  cases, 
merely  membranous  sacks,  with  comparatively 
little  muscular  development,  and  can  not  assimi- 
late anything  but  the  softest,  most  readily  di- 
gested food. 

Many  birds  that  are  largely  vegetarians  feed 
199 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

their  offspring  on  insects.  The  Crow  Blackbird 
feeds  plump  spiders,  tiny  young  grasshopper 
nymphs,  and  soft  small  cutworms  for  a  while. 
Beetles  soon  become  part  of  the  fare,  and  when 
the  Blackbirds  are  nearly  or  quite  grown  the 
stomachs  are  strong  enough  to  digest  corn.  Corn 
is  then  given  freely,  and  by  the  time  they  are 
ready  to  leave  the  nest  it  forms  about  one-fourth 
of  their  food. 

The  nestlings  of  Bluebirds  are  fed  upon 
grasshoppers,  and  other  insects,  earthworms, 
and  larvae.  The  nestlings  of  Robins  are  fed 
from  five  to  six  times  an  hour  with*  insect  food 
—caterpillars,  locusts,  grasshoppers,  crickets, 
beetles,  May-beetles,  cutworms,  spiders,  snails, 
and  earthworms. 

The  House  Wren  is  exclusively  insectivorous, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  useful  birds. 

The  feeding  of  the  young  of  English  Spar- 
rows is  of  value,  and  many  injurious  insects 
are  destroyed.  The  adults  act  as  scavengers  in 
the  city. 

The  nestlings  of  the  Baltimore  Oriole  are  fed 
upon  canker-worms;  the  Orchard  Orioles  upon 
May-flies,  spiders,  caterpillars,  and  grasshop- 
pers. 

The  food  of  adult  Crows  is  two-thirds  vegeta- 
ble, a  large  part  of  which  is  corn.  The  nestlings 
consume  large  quantities  of  cutworms,  grass- 

200 


BIRDS   AND   HORTICULTURE 

hoppers  and  May-beetles.  The  quantity  of  in- 
sect pests  they  consume  exceeds  in  volume  more 
than  twice  the  corn  they  take.  The  first  meal 
consists  of  grasshoppers,  plump  spiders,  or  soft 
cutworms.  When  two  weeks  old  three-fourths 
of  the  diet  consists  of  equal  parts  of  beetles  and 
flesh  of  vertebrates,  fish,  frogs,  salamanders,  tur- 
tles, snakes,  birds,  mice,  and  rabbits. 

The  Kingbird  is  one  of  the  most  beneficial 
birds.  He  destroys  the  asparagus-beetle,  rose- 
beetle,  flies  injurious  to  stock,  and  insect  pests 
not  usually  destroyed  by  other  birds ;  kills  honey- 
bees, but  invariably  selects  the  drones,  and  saves 
the  young  of  game  and  poultry  by  driving  away 
the  crows  and  hawks. 

The  food  of  the  nestlings  of  the  Phoebe-Bird 
is  insects.  Three-fourths  of  the  food  consists  of 
spiders,  grasshoppers,  caterpillars,  and  moths. 
The  adult  feeds  upon  beetles  and  some  grass- 
hoppers. The  food  of  the  nestlings  of  the  Wood 
Phcebes  is  exclusively  insectivorous — grasshop- 
pers, flies,  caterpillars  and  spiders.  The  nes- 
tlings of  the  Ruby-Throated  Humming-Bird  are 
fed  largely  on  insects,  and  some  sap  and  nectar 
from  plants  and  flowers.  The  adult  feeds  upon 
gnats,  ants,  tiny  bees,  and  parasitic  wasps.  The 
food  is  regurgitated  by  the  adult. 

Nestlings  first  feed  on  animal  diet.  This 
diet  gradually  changes  when  necessary.  Animal 

201 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

food  is  of  most  nutritive  value,  and  most  easily 
digested.  It  has  been  found  that  nestlings  in- 
crease in  weight  from  twenty  to  fifty  per  cent 
daily.  At  certain  stages  they  require  more  than 
their  own  weight  in  insects  every  day.  The  food 
must  be  capable  of  rapid  digestion,  and  readily 
obtainable.  Spiders,  grasshoppers,  crickets,  and 
caterpillars  are  the  favorite  food  of  the  nestling 
of  passeres  or  song-birds.  Vegetarian  birds,  as 
the  Crow,  Catbird,  Robin,  Cedar-Bird,  and  Eng- 
lish Sparrow,  mingle  fruit  or  grain  in  constantly 
increasing  quantities  with  insect  food.  The  hard 
beetles,  dung-beetles,  May-beetles,  and  weevils 
are  substituted  for  the  soft  insects  of  the  perch- 
ing birds. 

The  amount  of  food  required  demands  unre- 
mitting zeal  on  the  part  of  the  parents.  The 
destruction  of  injurious  insects  is  enormous,  and 
results  in  the  check  of  their  increase. 

One-tenth  of  the  agricultural  product  of  the 
United  States  is  annually  destroyed  by  the  rav- 
ages of  insects.  To  this  must  be  added  that 
caused  by  small  rodents  and  harmful  weeds. 
Mechanical  and  chemical  aids  are  a  necessity, 
but  birds  offer  the  simplest  and  least  expensive 
help.  These  enemies  of  injurious  insects  are 
ever  watchful,  day  and  night,  and  deserve  the 
greatest  appreciation  and  protection. 


202 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

TOOLS 


Good  garden  tools  are  a  necessity,  and  one  of 
the  most  important  lessons  on  gardening  is  the 


Garden  Tools. 
203 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

proper  care  of  tools.  They  should  never  be  put 
away  dirty  or  wet.  Rubbing  with  vaseline  pre- 
vents rusting.  It  is  economy  to  buy  good  tools 
and  care  for  them  properly.  The  best  is  the 
cheapest. 

Garden-line  reel $  .50 

Garden-line  100  feet  long 50 

Tape-line  50  feet  long 75 

Gardening  tools — rake,  hoe  and  spade ...     1 . 25 

Weeder 15 

Trowel 15 

Watering-can,  6  quarts 60 

Hedge-shears 1 . 50 

Pruning-shears    ••.••• 1-00 

Pruning-knif e 1 . 00 

Budding-knife 1.50 

Grafting-chisel 75 

Grafting-mallet 50 

Grafting-wax,  1-pound  package 25 

Cast-iron  sun-dial 1 . 50 

Bronze  sun-dial . ,  6 . 00 


204 


APPENDIX   I 

SHRUBS    FOR    THE   ARBORETUM 

LIST  of  native  shrubs  for  the  Arboretum  with 
the  following  data:  Scientific  name;  common 
name;  height;  distribution;  time  of  blooming; 
kind  of  soil;  color  of  flowers;  color  of  fruit; 
autumnal  coloring;  remarks. 

TAXACE^E.     Yew  Family. 

Taxus  canadensis — American  Yew.  Low,  straggling 
evergreen;  Can.,  Va.,  la.,  Mich.,  Minn.;  April  and  May;  low, 
moist,  shaded  land;  yellowish  green;  nut-like  seed,  enclosed 
in  a  red,  pulpy,  globulous,  berry-like  cup. 

Taxus  baccata — European  Yew.  Thirty-forty  feet;  Eu- 
rope and  Western  Asia ;  April  and  May ;  in  moist  soil ;  yellow 
green,  inconspicuous;  scarlet,  oblong  berry;  dark  green,  yel- 
low-green undersurf ace ;  evergreen. 

Juniperus  communis — Common  Juniper.  Low  tree; 
NewEng.,  Minn.,  Rocky  Mts.;  dry,  sterile  hills;  common;  in- 
conspicuous; berries  bluish  black,  whitish  bloom;  evergreen; 
endures  poor  soil. 

BETULACE^E.     Birch  Family. 

Corylus  americana — Hazel-Nut.  Three-six  feet;  Me., 
Ont.,  Fla.,  Kan.;  March  and  April  before  leaves;  staminate 
flowers  in  drooping  catkins,  pistillate  flowers  in  scaly  bud; 

205 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

dry,  moist,  or  light  soil ;  nut  enclosed  in  involucre ;  dark  yel- 
low green  above,  and  pale  green  finely  tomentose  beneath; 
dull  yellow  in  autumn ;  useful  for  massing. 

I  Jet  ula  pumila — Low  Birch.  Two-eight  feet;  Can.,  New 
Eng.,  Mich.,  N.  J.,  O.;  June,  July;  wet  meadows;  erect  cat- 
kins; strobile  dull;  autumnal  tints  bright  yellow;  deserves 
cultivation. 

Alnus  incana — Speckled  Alder.  Eight-ten  feet;  Can., 
Penn.,  Neb.;  April  and  May  before  leaves;  along  streams  and 
in  swamps;  flowers  in  catkins;  bright  clear  yellow  in  autumn; 
fruit  like  small  pine-cones. 

Alnus  rugosa — Smooth  Alder.  Six-twelve  feet;  Mass., 
Fla.,  Minn.,  Tex.;  March  and  April;  along  streams  and  in 
swamps;  staminate  and  pistillate  aments  formed  previous 
autumn;  strobile  of  woody  scales;  yellow,  touched  with  red; 
strobile  red  brown. 

MYRICACELE.     Bayberry  Family. 

Myrica  gale — Sweet-Gale.  Three-five  feet;  Can.,  Va., 
Minn.;  April;  low,  wet  places;  staminate  and  pistillate  flowers 
borne  in  catkins;  dull  yellow;  leaves  with  resinous  dots  above 
and  below;  fragrant. 

Comptonia  peregrina — Sweet-Fern.  One-two  feet. 
Can.,  New  Eng.,  Ga.,  Neb.;  April  and  May;  open  spaces;  in 
catkins,  generally  dioscious;  dull;  foliage  attractive;  thrives 
in  poor  soil. 

SALICACE/E.     Willow  Family. 

Salix  discolor— Pussy  Willow.  Eight-fifteen  feet;  New 
Eng.,  Penn.,  west  and  south;  March  and  April;  moist  or  dry 
ground;  flowers  and  fruit  in  catkins;  catkins  furry;  smooth, 
bright  green  above,  smooth  beneath;  responds  to  early 
spring  warmth. 

206 


APPENDIX    I 


Oleaster  Family. 

El  aeagnus  a  r  g  e  n  t  e  a — Silverberry.  Six-twelve  feet  ; 
Minn.,  S.  D.,  Mont.;  May  and  June;  rocky,  gravelly  banks; 
silvery  without,  pale  yellow  within;  drupe  like;  densely  sil- 
very on  both  sides;  effective  because  of  its  metallic,  silvery 
foliage. 

Shepherdia  argentea — Buffalo-Berry.  Six-fifteen  feet. 
Can.,  Minn.,  Kan.,  Neb.;  April  and  May;  rocky  soil;  yellow, 
dioecious;  silvery,  stellate,  pubescent  above  and  below. 

Shepherdia  canadensis — Canada  Buffalo-Berry.  Three- 
eight  feet;  Can.,  Me.,  N.  Y.,  Mich.,  Utah;  April  to  June; 
gravelly,  poor  soil ;  yellowish ;  red  or  yellowish  drupe ;  silvery 
stellate,  pubescent  above  and  smooth  beneath;  attractive  in 
fruit. 

LAURACELE.     Laurel  Family. 

Benzoin  benzoin — Spicebush.  Six-fifteen  feet;  New 
Eng.,  west  to  Mich.,  south  to  Kan.;  March  and  April;  damp 
woods;  greenish  yellow;  scarlet  drupe;  clear  bright  yellow; 
leaves,  fruit,  and  bark  aromatic. 

THYMELEACE^.     Mezereum  Family. 

Dirca  palustris — Leatherwood.  Two-five  feet;  Can., 
Va.,  Minn.,  Miss,  to  Gulf;  April;  moist,  shady  places;  light 
yellow;  reddish  drupe;  clear  yellow;  bark  used  by  Indians  for 
thongs. 

Daphne  mezereum — Spurge-Laurel.  One-four  feet; 
Can.,  Mass.,  N.  Y. ;  April,  before  leaves  appear;  good  garden- 
soil  ;  rose  purple ;  red  drupe ;  flowers  very  fragrant. 

Daphne  cneorum — Daphne.  One-two  feet;  cultivated; 
May ;  calcareous  soil ;  rose  purple ;  olive  green,  persistent ;  very 
attractive. 

•        207 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

MAGNOLIACE^.     Magnolia  Family. 
Magnolia  glauca — Laurel  Magnolia.     Four-twenty  feet; 
Cape  Ann,  N.  Y.,  Penn.,  south;  June  to  Aug. ;  swamps,  moist 
ground;  white;  cone  of  brilliant  red  fruit;  glaucous  beneath; 
evergreen  in  south. 

BANUNCULACE^.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Xanthorrhiza  apiifolia— Shrub  Yellow-Root.  Two- 
three  feet;  Penn.,  N.  Y.,  Ky.,  south;  April  and  May;  shady 
banks  of  streams;  prune  colored,  shading  to  brown;  greenish 
yellow;  bright  yellow  to  reddish  purple;  light  and  shade  en- 
during. 

LEGUMINOS^E.     Pulse  Family. 

Amorpha  fruticosa — False  Indigo.  Five-twenty  feet; 
Miss.  Valley;  May  to  July;  moist  soil;  borders  of  streams; 
violet  purple ;  pod ;  pale  yellow ;  produces  good  effects. 

Robinia  hispida — Moss-Locust.  Three-eight  feet ;  south- 
ern range,  but  hardy  in  north ;  May  and  July ;  wood-lands ; 
rose  colored;  pod;  stems  and  pods  covered  with  bristly  hairs; 
branches  weak  and  easily  broken. 

Laburnum  vulgare — Golden  Chain.  Ten-fifteen  feet; 
introduced;  May;  cultivated;  clear  yellow;  pods;  trifoliate; 
prefers  lime  soil. 

Colutea  arborescens — Bladder  Senna.  Three-nine  feet; 
introduced;  June;  cultivated;  yellow;  pods  or  bladders;  foli- 
age decorative ;  good  for  hedge. 

OLEACE^E.     Olive  Family. 

Syringa  vulgaris — Common  Lilac.  Five-ten  feet;  Atlan- 
tic to  Pacific;  May;  tolerant  of  many  soils;  lilac  and  white; 
capsule  dull  green;  hardy  and  ornamental;  many  beautiful 
cultivated  varieties. 

208 


APPENDIX    I 

Ligustrum  vulgare — Privet.  Three-ten  feet;  native  of 
Asia  and  Europe;  May;  endures  poor  conditions;  white;  small 
black  berry;  dark  green,  nearly  evergreen. 

Forsythia  viridissima — Forsythia.  Three-eight  feet; 
introduced  from  China;  April;  cultivated;  yellow;  capsule; 
yellow  green ;  drooping  variety,  Forsythia  suspensa. 

HAMAMELIDACE^E.     Witch-Hazel  Family. 

Hamamelis  virginiana — Five-ten  feet;  general  distri- 
bution; November;  woodlands;  yellow;  woody  pods;  brown- 
ish yellow ;  charm  of  late  blooming. 

CORNACELE.     Dogwood  Family. 

Cornus  florida — Flowering  Dogwood.  Five-thirty  feet; 
New  Eng.,  Can.,  Fla.,  Mich.,  Mo.,  Tex.;  May  and  June;  dry 
woods;  yellow  green;  scarlet;  rose  colored;  shade  enduring; 
most  beautiful  Cornel. 

Cornus  circinata — Round-Leaved  Dogwood.  Six-ten  feet ; 
Can.,  Va.,  Mo.;  May  and  June;  rich  or  sandy  soil;  white;  pale 
blue  or  white  drupe;  dull  yellow;  endures  shade;  branches 
greenish,  warty  dotted. 

Cornus  sericea — Kinnikinnik  or  Silky  Dogwood.  Six- 
ten  feet;  Can.,  Fla.,  La.;  May  and  July;  wet  soil;  white;  pale- 
blue  drupe ;  dull  purple  to  deep  red ;  twigs  purplish  in  winter. 

Cornus  stolonifera — Red-Osier  Dogwood.  Three-six 
feet;  Can.,  Va.,  Kan.,  Neb. ;  June  and  July;  wet  places;  cream 
white;  white  drupe;  bronze  purple,  dark  red,  and  orange; 
red  stems  in  winter. 

Cornus  alternifolia — Alternate-Leaved  Dogwood.     Six- 
twenty  feet;  Can.,  Minn.,  Ga.,  Ala.;  May  and  June;  moist 
soil;  white;  deep  blue  or  reddish  stalks;  dark  green,  pale 
beneath;  stems  and  twigs  green  in  winter. 
15  209 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

Cornus  alba — Red-Stemmed  Dogwood.  Three-ten  feet; 
cultivated;  May;  moist  soil;  white;  white  fruit,  very  attract- 
ive; brilliant  red  stems  in  winter;  incorrectly  called  cornus 
sanguinea. 

BERBERIDACE^.     Barberry  Family. 

Berberis  vulgaris — Common  Barberry.  Three-ten  feet; 
hardy  in  north;  May  and  June;  lime  soil;  yellow;  bright-red 
berries;  dull  purplish  green;  attractive  in  flower  and  fruit. 

Berberis  aquifolium — Mahonia.  Three-six  feet;  intro- 
duced from  Pacific;  May;  good  soil;  yellow;  blue  berry; 
bronze  tones;  valuable  shrub. 

Berberis  thunbergii— Thunberg's  Barberry.  Two-five 
feet;  hardy;  May  and  June;  any  good  soil;  yellow;  bright-red 
berries;  rich,  brilliant  red,  orange  and  reddish  purple;  excel- 
lent for  borders  and  screens. 

MALVACEAE.     Mallow  Family. 

Hibiscus  syriacus — Rose-of-Sharon.  Aug.  and  Sept.; 
cultivated;  rose  and  white;  capsule  dull;  clear  yellow;  may  be 
used  for  hedge. 

ROSACES.     Rose  Family. 

Spiraea  salicifolia — Meadow-Sweet.  Two-five  feet ;  Can., 
Ga.,  Minn.,  Wy.;  July  to  Sept.;  moist  soil;  white  or  pinkish; 
capsule;  dull  yellow  or  red;  increases  rapidly. 

Spiraea  tomentosa — Steeplebush.  Two-three  feet;  Can., 
Ga.,  Kan.,  Minn.;  July  to  Sept.;  low  ground;  rose  color;  cap- 
sule; dark  green;  stems  and  under  surface  of  leaves  very 
woolly;  improves  with  cultivation. 

Spiraea  thunbergii — Thunberg's  Spiraea.  Three-five 
feet;  cultivated;  May;  rocky  hillsides;  white;  capsule;  purple 

210 


APPENDIX    I 

bronze,  purple  and  scarlet;  summer  foliage  pale  green,  light 
and  airy ;  relieves  heavy  masses  of  shrubbery. 

Spiraea  prunifolia — Prune-Leaved  SpiraBa.  Three-five 
feet;  cultivated;  May;  good  soil;  white,  double;  no  fruit; 
scarlet,  orange  and  bronze;  may  be  planted  for  summer  and 
autumn  foliage. 

Spiraea  van  houttei — Van  Hout's  Spiraea.  Three-five 
feet;  cultivated;  May;  good  soil;  white;  deep  reds,  purples, 
scarlet,  and  orange;  most  desirable  shrub. 

Opulaster  opulifolius — Ninebark.  Three-ten  feet;  Can., 
Ga.,  Kan.;  June;  river-banks;  white;  green  and  russet  in- 
flated pods;  used  for  hedges;  slender  branches,  burdened 
with  fruit. 

Kerria  japonica — Corchorus.  Three-five  feet;  culti- 
vated; May;  partial  shade;  yellow,  double;  no  fruit;  yellow 
green ;  stems  brilliant  green. 

Rubus  odoratus — Flowering  Raspberry.  Three-five  feet ; 
Can.,  Mich.,  Ga.,  Tenn.;  May  to  Sept.;  moist,  shady  places; 
rose  purple ;  tiny  red  drupes ;  green ;  increases  by  underground 
stems. 

Potentilla  fruticosa — Shrubby  CinquefoiL  One-four 
feet;  Can.,  N.  J.,  Minn.,  la.;  June  to  Sept.;  tolerates  poor 
conditions;  yellow;  capsule;  silky  pubescent;  margins  re  vo- 
lute ;  used  as  undershrub. 

Rosa  setigera — Prairie-Rose.  Six  feet ;  strong  shoots,  ten 
to  twenty  feet  in  a  season;  Can.,  S.  C.,  Fla.,  Wis.,  Neb.,  Tex.; 
June  and  July;  deep,  rich  soil;  pink;  red  hips;  rose,  dull  red, 
purple  bronze ;  plant  on  banks. 

Rosa  blanda — Meadow-Rose.  One-four  feet;  Can.,  New 
Eng.,  N.  Y.,  111.,  June  and  July;  rocky  places;  pink;  bright 
scarlet  hips ;  pale  green ;  stems  dark  red. 

Rosa  lucida — Dwarf  Swamp-Rose.  Three-six  feet ;  Can., 
N.  J.,  Penn.;  June  and  July;  moist  soil;  pink;  red  hips;  bright 
shining  foliage ;  brownish-red  stems. 

211 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

Rosa  rubiginosa — Sweetbrier,  Eglantine.  Four-six  feet ; 
N.  S.,  Va.;  May  to  June;  roadsides;  pink;  orange  red  to  scar- 
let hips;  leaves  aromatic;  massed  shrubbery. 

Rosa  rugosa — Japanese  Rose.  Three-four  feet;  im- 
ported; May  to  October;  any  good  soil;  purple  and  white; 
large  red  hips ;  very  decorative ;  good  hedgerows. 

Rosa  wichuraiana — Japanese  Trailing  Rose.  Six  feet; 
rapid  growth;  introduced;  June;  any  sandy  or  gravelly  soil; 
white;  fragrant;  scarlet  hips;  fine  dark-green  foliage;  good 
covering  for  waste  places;  half  evergreen. 

Pyrus  arbutifolia — Red  Chokeberry.  Two-eight  feet; 
Can.,  Fla.,  Minn.,  111.,  Mo.,  La.;  May  and  June;  swamps  and 
wet  woods;  white  or  purplish;  dull-red  pome;  rich,  shining 
green;  exceedingly  ornamental. 

Pyrus  nigra — Black  Chokeberry.  Two-five  feet;  Can., 
Fla.,  Mich.;  May;  low,  moist  ground;  white;  shining  black; 
shining  green  above;  yellow  green  beneath. 

Amelanchier  canadensis — Shadbush.  Ten-thirty  feet; 
Can.,  Minn.,  Kan.,  La.;  April  and  May;  swamps  and  open 
woodlands;  white;  crimson  or  purplish;  yellow;  varieties 
differ  in  colors  of  opening  leaves,  one  form  red,  another  sil- 
very white  with  brilliant  scarlet  bud  scales  and  parts. 

ANACARDIACE3E.     Sumach  Family. 

Rhus  glabra — Smooth  Sumach.  Ten-fifteen  feet;  Can., 
Fla.,  Miss.,  Ariz.;  June  to  Aug.;  barren,  rocky  soil;  green; 
velvety  crimson;  scarlet  and  orange;  good  for  massing. 

Rhus  aromatica — Fragrant  Sumach.  Two-six  feet ;  Can., 
Fla.,  Minn.,  La.;  March  and  April;  dry,  rocky  soil;  greenish 
yellow ;  red  drupe ;  orange  and  scarlet ;  used  under  shrubbery. 

Cotinus  cotinus — Smoke-Tree.  Six-twenty  feet;  intro- 
duced ;  May ;  good  soil ;  yellowish  green ;  green  to  dull  yellow 
and  red;  dull  green;  most  attractive  in  fruit. 

212 


APPENDIX    I 


ILICINE^E.     Holly  Family. 

Ilex  verticillata — Black  Alder.  Five-ten  feet;  Can., 
Fla.,  Wis.,  Miss.;  June  and  July;  low,  moist  ground;  greenish 
white;  fruit  bright  red,  rarely  yellow;  dark  green;  one  of  the 
best  hardy  ornamental  shrubs ;  prized  for  color  of  fruit. 

Ilex  Isevigata — Smooth  Winterberry.  Five-ten  feet; 
Me.,  Penn.,  Va. ;  May  and  June;  wet  ground;  white;  bright 
red  orange  drupe;  bright  yellow;  fruit  attractive. 

Ilex  glabra — Inkberry.  Two-six  feet;  Mass.,  Miss.,  La.; 
June ;  sandy  soil;  white ;  black  drupe ;  bright  green ;  evergreen. 

Ilex  opaca — American  Holly.  Twenty-forty  feet;  Me., 
N.  J.,  Miss.,  Fla.,  Tex.;  June;  moist  woodlands;  greenish 
white ;  berries  dark  scarlet ;  deep  green ;  evergreen. 

CELASTRACE^].      Staff-Tree  Family. 

Euonymus  obovatus — Running  Euonymus.  Low,  strag- 
gling; Can.,  Penn.,  Ind.,  Ky. ;  April  and  May ;  low,  wet  places; 
purplish  green;  crimson  capsule,  discharging  a  scarlet  aril; 
dull  green,  pale  green  beneath;  good  cover  for  waste  places; 
will  thrive  in  almost  any  soil. 

Euonymous  americanus — Strawberry-Bush.  Two-six 
feet;  N.  Y.,  Fla.,  Neb.,  Tex.;  June;  low  woods;  yellowish  or 
reddish  green ;  crimson  capsule,  opening  to  discharge  a  scarlet- 
covered  seed ;  bright  green ;  valued  for  ornamental  fruit. 

Euonymous atropurpureus — Wahoo.  Six-fourteen  feet; 
N.  Y.,  Wis.,  Neb.,  Minn.,  south;  May  and  June;  moist  soil; 
dark  purple;  purplish  scarlet,  capsule  covering  a  crimson- 
covered  seed;  pale  yellow;  fruit  ornamental  in  autumn. 

SAXIFRAGACE^E.      Saxifrage  Family. 

Hydrangea  arborescens — Wild  Hydrangea.  Four-ten 
feet;  N.  J.,  N.  Y.,  Fla.,  Tenn.,  Mo.;  June,  July;  rocky,  moist 

213 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

places;  pinkish  cream;  capsule;  bright  green  above;  strong, 
upright  shrub. 

Hydrangea  paniculata  grandiflora—  Four-ten  feet; 
Aug.  to  Oct.;  cultivated;  good  soil;  greenish  to  white  and 
dull  rose;  no  fruit;  dark  green;  light  green  beneath;  very 
decorative. 

Hydrangea  radiata — Erect  shrub,  four-eight  feet;  N.  C., 
Tenn.,  Ga.,  Fla.;  June  and  July;  rich,  moist  soil;  greenish 
white;  fruit  inconspicuous;  leaves  densely  tomentose  be- 
neath; vigorous,  hardy  shrub. 

Hydrangea  panieulata — Shrub  or  small  tree.  Intro- 
duced from  Japan;  Aug.  to  Sept.;  good,  rich  soil;  pani- 
cles of  whitish  flowers,  sterile  ones  changing  to  purplish; 
capsule ;  leaves  pubescent ;  parent  of  Hydrangea  paniculata 
grandiflora. 

Philadelphia  coronarius — Syringa,  Mock-Orange.  Six- 
twelve  feet;  introduced;  May  and  June;  cultivated;  endures 
poor  conditions ;  cream  white,  capsules ;  dull  green  to  purplish ; 
young  stems  pale  golden  brown. 

Philadelphus  grandiflorus — Large-Flowering  Syringa. 
Six-twelve  feet;  introduced;  May  and  June;  easily  grown; 
cream  white;  dull  capsule;  little  change  of  color;  last  of 
spring  flowering  shrubs. 

Deutzia  gracilis — Bridal- Wreath.  One-two  feet;  intro- 
duced; May;  good  soil;  pure  white;  capsule;  rough  in  texture; 
hardy  shrub. 

Ribes  floridum— Wild  Black  Currant.  Three-five  feet; 
Can.,  Ky.,  la.,.  Neb.;  April  and  May;  moist  soil;  greenish 
white  or  yellowish;  deep  bronze;  attractive  in  flower  and 
fruit. 

Ribes  aureum — Missouri  Currant.  Five-eight  feet; 
Miss.  Valley  to  Rocky  Mts. ;  April  and  May;  easily  cultivated; 
yellow;  black  berry;  yellow  and  red;  hardy. 

214 


APPENDIX    I 


RUBIACE/E.     Madder  Family. 

Cephalanthus  occidentalis — Button-Bush.  Four -fif- 
teen feet;  Can.,  Fla.,  Tex.  to  Pacific  Coast;  July  and  Aug.; 
along  streams  and  swamps;  white;  ball  of  small  capsules; 
dull  yellow;  deserves  cultivation. 

ERICACEAE.     Heath  Family. 

Gaylussacia  resinosa — High-Bush  Huckleberry.  One- 
three  feet;  Can.,  Minn.,  Ga.;  May  and  June;  rocky  woods 
and  swamps;  greenish  pink;  black;  scarlet,  crimson,  and 
orange;  edible  fruit. 

Vaccinium  corymbosum — High-Bush  Blueberry.  Five- 
ten  feet;  Can.,  Va.,  Minn.;  May  and  June;  swamps  and  low 
thickets;  white  to  pale  pink;  generally  blue  with  bloom; 
brilliant  scarlet  and  orange ;  good  for  shrub  borders. 

Andromeda  polifolia — Wild  Rosemary.  One-three  feet; 
Can.,  N.  J.,  Penn.,  Mich.;  May  and  June;  cool  bogs;  white 
and  light  pink;  dull  capsules;  dull  green,  glaucous  beneath; 
thrives  under  cultivation. 

Andromeda  floribunda — Mountain  Fetter-Bush.  Two- 
six  feet;  Alleghanies,  Va.,  Ga. ;  April  and  May;  moist  hill- 
sides; white;  capsule;  evergreen;  irregular  hedge. 

Andromeda  calyculata— Cassandra,  Leather-Leaf.  Two- 
four  feet;  Can.,  Ga.,  Mich.,  111.;  April;  wet  meadows;  white; 
capsule ;  covered  with  scaly  dots ;  very  early  bloom. 

Kalmia  latifolia — Mountain-Laurel.  Two-four  feet; 
Can.,  Penn.,  Minn.;  May  and  June;  moist  soil;  white,  pink, 
and  red;  capsule;  stiff,  evergreen  leaves;  effective  in  masses. 

Kalmia  angustifolia — Sheep-Laurel.  One-three  feet; 
Can.,  Penn.,  Minn.;  May  and  June;  moist  soil;  lilac  purple; 
capsule ;  light  green,  pale  beneath ;  poisonous  to  animals. 

215 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

Azalea  nudiflora — Wild  Honeysuckle.  Pinxter  Flower. 
Two-six  feet;  Can.,  Fla.,  Ill,  Mo.,  Tex.;  April  and  May; 
swamps  and  rocky  woods;  flesh  color  to  pink  and  purple; 
capsule;  dull  yellow;  very  attractive  shrub. 

Rhododendron  calendulaceum — Flame-Colored  Azalea. 
Four-fifteen  feet;  Penn.  to  Ga. ;  May;  dry  woods;  orange, 
turning  to  flame  color;  capsule;  light  green,  somewhat 
tomentose  beneath. 

Leucothoe  racemosa — Swamp  Leucothoe.  Five-twelve 
feet;  Mass.,  Fla.,  La. ;  May  and  June;  swampy  thickets;  white 
bells;  capsule;  scarlet,  purple,  and  orange;  prized  for  autumn 
coloring. 

Leucothoe  catesbaei — Catesby's  Leucothoe.  Three-six 
feet ;  Va.,  Ga.,  Tenn.;  April  and  May;  banks  of  streams;  white 
bell;  capsule;  dark,  shining  green  above,  paler  green  below; 
easily  cultivated ;  hardy  in  Mass. 

Rhodora  canadensis — Rhodora.  One-two  feet;  Can., 
New  Eng.,  Penn.;  April  and  May;  cool  bogs;  purplish 
rose  color;  capsule;  pale  green,  paler  and  glaucous  and  downy 
beneath. 

Rhododendron  maximum — Great  Laurel.  Shrub  or 
tree;  Me.  to  O.;  N.  Y.  to  Ga. ;  July;  damp,  deep  woods; 
pale  rose  color  or  nearly  white ;  evergreen. 

Ledum  latifolium — Labrador  Tea.  One-three  feet; 
New  Eng.,  Penn.,  Mich.,  Minn. ;  May  and  June;  cold  bogs  and 
wooded  hills;  white;  capsule;  densely  covered  with  brown 
wool  beneath ;  evergreen. 

CAPRIFOLIACE.E.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

Sambucus  canadensis — American  Elder.  Five-ten  feet ; 
common  in  Northern  States ;  June  to  August ;  moist,  rich  soil 
in  open  places;  cream  white;  dark  purple  berry;  dark  green; 
pith  white ;  golden-leaved  variety. 

216 


APPENDIX    I 

Sambucus  racemose — Red-Berried  Elder.  Two-twelve 
feet;  Can.  to  Ga.,  west  to  Col.,  Cal.;  April  and  May;  rocky; 
dry  soil;  cream  white;  brilliant  scarlet  berries;  dark  green, 
paler  green  beneath ;  pith  yellow ;  extremely  ornamental. 

Viburnum  lantanoides — Hobble-Bush.  American  Way- 
faring-Tree; low  shrub;  Can.,  N.  C.,  Mich.;  May  and  June; 
cold  moist  woods;  white;  coral  red  to  purple  drupes;  brilliant 
red  and  orange ;  attractive  at  all  seasons. 

Viburnum  opulus — High-Bush  Cranberry.  Four-ten 
feet;  Can.,  Penn.,  Mich.,  S.  D.  and  west;  May  and -June;  low 
moist  soil;  cream  white ;  bright-red  drupes;  bronze  purple  and 
dark  red;  parent  of  common  snowball. 

Viburnum  acerifolium — Maple-Leaved  Viburnum,  Dock- 
mackie.  Three-six  feet;  Can.,  N.  C.,  Mich.,  Minn.;  June; 
cool,  rocky  woods;  cream  white;  crimson  drupe,  turning  to 
purple;  dull  red,  varying  to  rose  color;  often  confused  with 
young  maples. 

Viburnum  dentatum — Arrow-Wood.  Six-ten  feet;  Can., 
Ga.,  Mich.,  Minn.;  June;  low,  moist  ground;  white;  dark-blue 
drupe;  bronze  red;  very  ornamental  shrub. 

Viburnum  cassinoides — Withe-Rod.  Two-twelve  feet ; 
Can.,  Ga.,  Ala.,  Minn.;  June  and  July;  swamps  and  wet  soils; 
white;  dark-blue  drupes;  purple,  turning  to  rich  red;  im- 
proves with  cultivation. 

Viburnum  lentago — Sheepberry,  Sweet  Viburnum.  Fif- 
teen-thirty feet;  Atlantic,  Mo.,  Minn.;  May;  woods,  and 
banks  of  streams;  cream  white;  black;  petioles  long  and 
margined;  prominent  stamens;  give  cyme  a  yellow  ap- 
pearance. 

Viburnum  prunifolium — Black  Haw.  Six-ten  feet; 
N.  Y.,  Mich.,  Kan.,  south;  white;  purple;  moist  soil;  autumn 
foliage ;  bronze ;  blooms  very  early. 


217 


APPENDIX  II 

TREES  FOR  THE  ARBORETUM 

GYMNOSPER3LE 

PINACE^E  PINE  FAMILY 

Pinus  palustris Long-Leaved  Pine 

Pinus  strobus White  Pine 

Pinus  resinosa Red  Pine 

Pinus  tceda Loblolly  Pine 

Pinus  rigida Pitch  Pine 

Pinus  virginiana Jersey  Pine 

Pinus  echinata Yellow  Pine 

Pinus  laricio  austriaca Austrian  Pine 

Pinus  sylvestris  Scotch  Pine 

Picea  canadensis White  Spruce 

Picea  rubra Red  Spruce 

Picea  mariana Black  Spruce 

Picea  excelsa Norway  Spruce 

Tsuga  canadensis Hemlock 

Larix  laricina Tamarack 

Larix  europcea  European  Larch 

Abies  balsamea Balsam  Fir 

Taxodium  distichum  Bald  Cypress 

Thuja  occidentalis Arborvitse 

Cupressus  thyoides White  Cedar 

Junip&rus  communis Common  Juniper 

Juniperus  virginiana Red  Cedar 

TAXACE^  YEW  FAMILY 

Salisburia  adiantifolia Gingko-Tree 

218 


APPENDIX   II 

ANGIOSPERIVLE 

BETULACE^E  BIRCH  FAMILY 

Betula  populifolia White  Birch 

Betula  papyrifera Paper  Birch 

Betula  nigra Red  Birch 

Betula  lutea Yellow  Birch 

Betula  lenta Sweet  Birch 

Alnus  glutinosa European  Alder 

Ostrya  virginiana Hop-Hornbeam 

Carpinus  caroliniana Hornbeam 

CUPULIFER.E  OAK  FAMILY 

Quercus  alba White  Oak 

Quercus  minor   Post  Oak 

Quercus  macrocarpa Bur  Oak 

Quercus  prinus Chestnut  Oak 

Quercus  acuminata Yellow  Oak 

Querctts  prinoides Dwarf  Chinquapin  Oak 

Quercus  platanoides Swamp  White  Oak 

Quercus  rubra Red  Oak 

Quercus  coccinea Scarlet  Oak 

Quercus  velutina Black  Oak 

Quercus  digitata Spanish  Oak 

Quercus  palustris Pin  Oak 

Quercus  ilicifolia Bear  Oak 

Quercus  marilandica Black  Jack 

Quercus  imbricaria Shingle  Oak 

Quercus  phellos Willow  Oak 

Fagus  atropunicea Beech 

Castanea  dentata   Chestnut 

Castanea  pumila Chinquapin 

URTICACE^  ELM  FAMILY 

Ulmus  americana White  Elm 

Ulmus  pubescens  Slippery  Elm 

Ulmus  racemosa Cork  Elm 

Ulmus  alata Winged  Elm 

219 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

URTICACE^E  ELM  FAMILY 

Ulmus  campestris English  Elm 

Celtis  occidentalis Hackberry 

Morus  rubra Red  Mulberry 

Morus  nigra Black  Mulberry 

Morus  alba White  Mulberry 

Toxylon  pomiferum Osage  Orange 

PLATANACE^E  PLANE-TREE  FAMILY 

Platanus  occidentalis Sycamore 

SALICACE.E  WILLOW  FAMILY 

Salix  nigra Black  Willow 

Salix  lucida Shining  Willow 

Salix  amygdaloides Peach  Willow 

Salix  bebbiana Bebb  Willow 

Salix  discolor Glaucous  Willow 

Salix  alba  vitellina White  Willow 

Salix  fragilis Crack  Willow 

Salix  babylonica Weeping  Willow 

Populus  tremuloides Aspen 

Populus  grandidentata Large-Toothed  Aspen 

Populus  heterophylla Swamp  Cotton  wood 

Populus  balsamifera Balsam 

Populus  balsamifera  candicans Balm  of  Gilead 

Populus  deltoides Cotton  wood 

Populus  alba White  Poplar 

Populus  nigra  italica Lombardy  Poplar 

JUGLANDACE.E  WALNUT  FAMILY 

Juglans  nigra Black  W^alnut 

Juglans  cinerea Butternut 

Hicoria  minima Bitternut 

Hicoria  ovata  Shellbark  Hickory 

Hicoria  laciniosa Big  Shellbark 

Hicoria  alba Mockernut 

Hicoria  glabra Pignut 

LAURACE.E  LAUREL  FAMILY 

Sassafras  sassafras Sassafras 

220 


APPENDIX   II 

LEGUMINOS^  PEA  FAMILY 

Robinia  pseudacacia Locust 

Robinia  viscosa    Clammy  Locust 

Cercis  canadensis Redbud 

Gymnodadus  dioicus Kentucky  Coffee-Tree 

Gleditschia  triacanthos Honey-Locust 

Cladrastis  lutea Yellowwood 

SlMAROUBACE,E  AlLANTHUS  FAMILY 

Ailanthus  glandulosa Ailanthus 

SAPINDACE^:  MAPLE  FAMILY 

Msculus  glabra   Ohio  Buckeye 

jEsculus  octandra Sweet  Buckeye 

JEsculus  hippocastanum Horse-Chestnut 

Acer  pennsylvanicum Striped  Maple 

Acer  spicatum Mountain-Maple 

Acer  saccharum Sugar-Maple 

Acer  saccharinum Silver  Maple 

Acer  rubrum Red  Maple 

Acer  platanoides Norway  Maple 

Acer  pseudo-platanus Sycamore-Maple 

Acer  negundo  Box  Elder 

ANNONACE^                                        CUSTARD-APPLE  FAMILY 
Asimina  triloba Papaw 

MAGNOLIACE^  MAGNOLIA  FAMILY 

Magnolia  glauca Swamp  Magnolia 

Magnolia  tripetala Umbrella-Tree 

Magnolia  acuminata Cucumber-Tree 

Liriodendron  tulipifera Tulip-Tree 

TILIACE^  LINDEN  FAMILY 

Tilia  americana Linden 

ROSACE^E  ROSE  FAMILY 

Prunus  nigra Canada  Plum 

Prunus  americana Wild  Plum 

Prunus  pennsylvanica Wild  Red  Cherry 

Prunus  virginiana Choke-Cherry 

221 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 

ROSACES  ROSE  FAMILY 

Prunus  serotina Black  Cherry 

Pyrus  coronaria Crab- Apple 

Pyrus  americana Mountain- Ash 

Pyrus  aucuparia European  Mount  Jn -Ash 

Pyrus  sambucifolia Elderleaf  Mount 'n -Ash 

Cratcegus  crus-galli Cockspur  Thorn 

Cratcegus  coccinea White  Thorn 

Cratcegus  mollis Scarlet  Haw 

Cratagus  tomentosa ., Black  Thorn 

Cratcegus  punctata Dotted  Haw 

Amelanchier  canadensis June-Berry 

CORNACEJE  DOGWOOD  FAMILY 

Cornus  florida Flowering  Dogwood 

Cornus  alternifolia Alternate-Leaved  Dog- 
wood 
Nyssa  sylvatica Tupelo 

HAMAMELIDACE^  WITCH-HAZEL  FAMILY 

Hamamelis  virginiana Witch-Hazel 

Liquidambar  styraciflua Sweet-Gum 

OLEACE^E  OLIVE  FAMILY 

Fraxinus  americana White  Ash 

Fraxinus  pennsylvanica Red  Ash 

Fraxinus  lanceolata Green  Ash 

Fraxinus  quadrangulata Blue  Ash 

Fraxinus  nigra Black  Ash 

Chionanthus  virginica Fringe-Tree 

BlGNONIACE^J  BlGNONIA   FAMILY 

Catalpa  catalpa Catalpa 

Catalpa  speciosa Hardy  Catalpa 

EBENACE^  EBONY  FAMILY 

Diospyros  virginiana Persimmon 

STYRACACE^E  STORAX  FAMILY 

Mohrodendron  carolinum Silverbell-Tree 

Mohrodendron  dipterum Snowdrop-Tree 

222 


APPENDIX   III 


FLOWERS  FOR  THE  WILD  GARDEN 

SUCCESSION  OF  BLOOMING 


MARCH    AND    APRIL 

Epigaea  repens  Trailing  Arbutus 

Symplocarpus  f  oetitus         Skunk-Cabbage 
Caltha  palustris  Marsh-Marigold 

Hepatica  triloba  Hepatica 

Erythronium  americanum  Dog's-Tooth  Violet 
Sanguinaria  canadensis       Bloodroot 


Pink 

Yellow 

Yellow 

Lavender 

Yellow 

White 


APRIL   AND    MAY 


Oakesia  sessilifolia 
Anemone  nemorosa 
Anemonella  thalictroides 
Dicentra  cucullaria 
Dicentra  canadensis 
Saxifraga  virginiensis 
Trillium  grandiflorum 
Trillium  erythrocarpum 
Trillium  erectum 
Trientalis  americana 

Tiarella  cordifolia 

Mitella  diphylla 

Actsea  alba 

Actae  rubra 

Cimicif  uga  racemosa 

Gaultheria  procumbens 


Bellwort 

Yellow 

Wood  Anemone 

White 

Rue  Anemone 

White 

Dutchmen's  Breeches 

White 

Squirrel-Corn 

Pinkish 

Early  Saxifrage 

White 

Large  White  Trillium 

White 

Painted  Trillium 

White 

Wake-Robin 

Purple 

Starflower 

White 

I  False  Mitrewort,  ) 
(     Foam-Flower    } 

White 

Mitrewort 

White 

White  Baneberry 

White 

Red  Baneberry 

Red 

Black  Snakeroot 

White 

Wintergreen 

White 

223 

CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 


Viola  pubescens 
Viola  cucullata 
Viola  pedata 
Viola  blanda 
Polygonatum  biflorum 
Smilacina  racemosa 
Maianthemum  cana- 
dense 

Clintonia  borealis 

Arissema  triphyllum 
Sarracenia  purpurea 


MAY 

Yellow  Violet 
Purple  Violet 
Bird's-Foot  Violet 
Sweet  White  Violet 
Solomon's  Seal 
False  Solomon's  Seal 
Maianthemum 

Clintonia 

Jack-in-the-Pulpit 
Pitcher-Plant 


Yellow 

Purple 

Blue  Purple 

White 

Yellow 

Yellow 
((Yellowish 
I     White) 
5  (Greenish 
I     Yellow) 

Green 

Purple 


Erigeron  bellidif  olius 
Houstonia  cserulea 
Potentilla  canadensis 
Phlox  subulata 
Aquilegia  canadensis 
Cypripedium  acaule 


MAY   AND    JUNE 

Robin's  Plantain  Pink 

Bluet  Blue 

Common  Cinquefoil  Yellow 

Moss-Pink  Pink 

Wild  Columbine  Red 

Moccasin-Flower  Pink 


MAY,    JUNE    AND   JULY 


Goodyera  pubescens 
Pyrola  elliptica 
Chimaphila  umbellata 
Oxalis  stricta 
Hibiscus  moscheutos 
Drosera  rotundifolia 
Iris  versicolor 
CEnothera  biennis 
Geranium  maculatum 
Geranium  robertianum 


Rattlesnake-Plantain  White 

Shinleaf  White 

Pipsissewa  White 

Yellowwood-Sorrel  Yellow 

Rose-Mallow  Pink 

Sundew  White 

Blue  Flag  Blue 

Evening  Primrose  Yellow 

Wild  Geranium  Purple 

Herb-Robert  Purple 
224 


APPENDIX   III 


MAY,    JUNE,    JULY   AND    AUGUST 


Cornus  canadensis 
Mitchella  repens 
Coptis  trifolia 
Capsella  bursa-pastoris 
Brassica  nigra 

Phlox  maculata 

Taraxacum  officinale 
Medeola  virginica 
Hypericum  perforatum 


Bunchberry 
Partridgeberry 
Goldthread 

White 
White 
White 

Shepherd's  Purse 
Wild  Mustard 

Green 
Yellow 

Sweet-William 
Dandelion 

(  Pinkish 
(     Purple 
Yellow 

IndianCucumber-Root  White 

St.-John's-Wort 

Yellow 

JUNE,  JULY  AND  AUGUST 


Melilotus  alba 
Trifolium  agrarium 
Lilium  canadense 
Lilium  superbum 
Lilium  philadelphicum 
Rudbeckia  hirta 
Verbena  hastata 
Calla  palustris 
Asclepias  cornuti 
Monarda  didyma 
Chelone  glabra 
Thalictrum  polygamum 
Lysimachia  quad-      ( 
rifolia  \ 

Brunella  vulgaris 
Impatiens  pallida 


White  Sweet  Clover 
Yellow  Clover 
Yellow  Field-Lily 
Turk's-Cap  Lily 
Wild  Red  Lily 
Black-Eyed  Susan 
Blue  Vervain 
Water-Arum 
Milkweed 
Oswego  Tea 
Turtle-Head 
Tall  Meadow-Rue 
Four-Leaved  ] 

Loosestrife  j 

Self-Leal 
Jewelweed 


Linaria  vulgaris 
Achillea  millefolium 
Lobelia  inflata 
Lobelia  cardinalis 
16 


JULY   TO    OCTOBER 

Toad-Flax 
Common  Yarrow 
Indian  Tobacco 
Cardinal-Flower 

225 


White 

Yellow 

Yellow 

Yellow 

Orange 

Orange 

Blue 

White 

Pink 

Red 

White 

White 

Yellow 

Bluish  Purple 
Yellow 


Yellow 
White 

Blue  or  Purple 
Brilliant  Red 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 


JULY  TO  OCTOBER  (continued) 


Henanthus  giganteus 
Tanacetum  vulgare 
Daucus  carota 
Verbascum  thapsus 
Cichorium  intybus 
Saponaria  officinalis 
Inula  helenium 
Epilobium  angustifo- 
lium 


Solidago  juncea 
Solidago  lanceolata 

Solidago  csesia 


Wild  Sunflower  Yellow 

Tansy  Yellow 

Wild  Carrot  White 

Mullein  Yellow 

Chickory  Blue 

Bouncing-Bet  Pinkish  Purple 

Elecampane  Yellow 

<  Fireweed  Pink 

Eupatorium  purpureum    Joe-Pye-Weed 
Eupatorium  perfoliatum  Boneset 

Goldenrod 
Linear-Leaved 

Goldenrod 

Blue-Stemmed 

Goldenrod 


Solidago  bicolor 
Aster  ericoides 
Aster  umbellatus 
Aster  novse-anglise 
Aster  puniceus 
Aster  spectabilis 
Aster  corymbosus 

Aster  cordifolius 

Gentiana  crinita 
Gentiana  andrewsii 


Rose  Pink 

White 

Yellow 

JYellow 

JYellow 

Silver-rod  White 

White  Heath  Aster  White 
White  Aster  White 

New  England  Aster  Violet  Purple 


Swamp  Aster 
Purple  Aster 

Bluewood  Aster 

Fringed  Gentian 
Closed  Gentian 


Lavender 

Purple 

White 

j  Pale  Blue  to 
I     White 

Blue 

Blue  to  Purple 


226 


APPENDIX  IV 


'  NATIVE  FERNS 


Onoelea  sensibilis 
Osmunda  cinnamomea 
Osmunda  regalis 
Osmunda  claytoniana 
Pellaea  gracilis 
Pellaea  atropurpurea 
Aspidium  acrostichoides 
Pteris  aquilina 
Adiantum  pedatum 
Asplenium  felix-foemina 
Asplenium  ebeneum 
Camptosorus  rhizophyllus 
Woodwardia  virginica 
Aspidium  fragrans 
Polypodium  vulgare 
Phegopteris  polypodioides 
Phegopteris  hexagonoptera 
Cystopteris  bulbifera 
Cystopteris  fragilis 
Woodsia  ilvensis 


Sensitive  Fern 
Cinnamon  Fern 
Royal  Fern 
Interrupted  Fern 
Slender  Cliff-Brake  Fern 
Purple  Cliff-Brake  Fern 
Christmas  Fern 
Brake 

Maidenhair  Fern 
Lady-Fern 
Ebony  Spleenwort 
Walking-Fern 
Virginia  Chain-Fern 
Fragrant  Shield-Fern 
Common  Polypody 
Long  Beech-Fern 
Broad  Beech-Fern 
Bulblet  Bladder-Fern 
Common  Bladder-Fern 
Rusty  Woodsia  Fern 


227 


APPENDIX   V 

BULBS  FOR  FALL  PLANTING 


CHOICE 

VARIETIES 

Each 

Doz. 

100 

Single  Mixed  Hyacinths 

....$0.06 

$0.65 

$5.00 

Double  Hyacinths  

07 

.70 

5.50 

Grape  Hyacinths  

01 

.12 

.60 

Mixed  Single  Tulip  

02 

.20 

1.00 

Double  Mixed  Tulips  

03 

.25 

1.25 

Single  Jonquil  

02 

.15 

.85 

Poets'  Narcissus  

02 

.15 

.85 

Mixed  Flowering  Crocuses  .  . 

01 

.10 

.50 

Freesia,  Large  

03 

.25 

1.50 

Mixed  Japanese  Iris  

15 

1.50 

10.00 

Mixed  German  Iris  

10 

1.00 

7.00 

Lilium  auratum  

12 

1.25 

9.00 

Lilium  candidum  

12 

1.25 

9.00 

Lilium  longiflorum  

07 

.75 

5.00 

Lilium  speciosum  album 

15 

1.50 

12.00 

Lilium  speciosum  rubrum  .  .  . 

....      .15 

1.50 

17.00 

Gladioli  . 

06 

.60 

4.00 

228 


INDEX 


Acer  saccharum,  134,  221 ;  sac- 
charinum,  134,  221 

Agricultural  and  horticultural 
products,  importance  of,  4 

Agricultural  Society  of  Switzer- 
land, 13 

Ailanthus  glandulosa,  136 

Aluminum,  163 

Amelanchier  botryapium,  51 

American  Arborvitse,  72 

American  Holly,  213 

American  League  for  Civic  Im- 
provement, 48 

American  Park  and  Outdoor 
Art  Association,  48 

American  Yew,  205 

Ampelopsis  quinquefolia,  78,  88 

Ampelopsis  veitchU,  78 

Anacardiacece,  212 

Anasa  tristis,  186 

Andromeda  floribunda,  77 

Anemone  japonica  alba,  86 

Annonacew,  221 

Annuals,  90,  92 

Anosia  plcaeippus,  190 

Antirrhinum,  92 

Aphids,  187 

Aquilegia,  92 

Arbor,  79 

Arboretum,  205  ;  trees  for,  218 

Arrow-Wood,  217 

Asparagus  sprcngeri,  104 

Asters,  92 

Austria-Hungary,   15 

Austrian  Imperial  School  Law, 
13 

Azalea,   7,  216 

Bacteria,  164 


Barberry  Family,  210 

Barnard  College,  New  York 
City,  49 

Basilarchia  archippus,  191 

Basedow,  12 

Bayberry  Family,  206 

Berberidacew,  210 

Herberts  vulgaris,  54 

Berberis  thunbergii,  73,  81  ; 
aquifolium,  77,  210 

Bernice  Pauahi  Bishop,  44 

Betula  nigra,  139 

Betula  papyrifera,  138 

Betulacece,  205,  219 

Beans,  174 

Beets,  174 

Belgium,  14 

Biennials,  90,  92 

Bignonia  Family,  222 

Bignoniacew,  222 

Birch  Family,  205,  219 

Birds,  relation  to  insects,  10 ; 
life  history  of,  11,  62;  in  re- 
lation to  Horticulture,  192 ; 
orders  of,  192 

Bishop,  Bernice  Pauahi,  44 

Black  Alder,  213 

Black-Haw,  217 

Black   Swallow-Tail,    190 

Bladder  Senna,  208 

Boston,  16 ;  pioneer  in  the 
school-garden  movement,  19, 
20 

Box  Gardens,   109 

Boys'  Gardens,  36,  56  ;  Dayton, 
Ohio,  34,  35  ;  Groton,  Mass., 
100 

Bridal-Wreath,  214 

Budding,  70 

229 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 


Buffalo-Berry,  207 

Bulbs  for  Fall  planting,  228 

Cabbage  Butterfly,  186 
Calcium,  163 
Calendula,  92 
California  Poppy,  93 
California  Privet,  72,  78,  113 
Calliopsis,   93 

Calosoma  calidium,  188 

Campe,  12 

Canada,  19 

Canada  Buffalo-Berry,  207 

Candytuft,  93 

Caprifoliacew,  216 

Carbon,  162 

Carrots,  174 

Cassandra,  215 

Catesby's  Leucothoe,  216 

Celastracew,  213 

Cercis  canadensis,  126 

Children's  gardens,  16;  ethical 
and  practical  phases  of,  24 

Children's  School-Farm  of  New 
York  City,  18,  37,  38,  39 

Chinese  Flowering  Crab,  142 

Cicada  septendecim,  190 

Cicada  tibicen,  189 

Civic  Clubs,  49 

Civic  Improvement  League  of 
St.  Louis,  41 

Cleft-grafting,  160 

Clematis  paniculata,  89 

Cleveland  Home  Gardening  As- 
sociation, 18,  24,  26,  27,  31, 
32 

Click-Beetles,  187 

Climbing  Rose,  53 

Clisiocampa  americana,  62,  182 

Cocus  weddelliana,  105 

Coccyges,  193 

Color  scheme,  90 

Colorado  Potato  Beetle,  185 

Colored  Schools  of  Hampton 
and  Tuskegee,  18 

Columbine,  92 

Comenius,  12 

Commercial  fertilizers,  60 

Common  Barberry,  210 

Common  Juniper,  205 


Common  Lilac,  208 
Compost,  171 
Corchorus,  211 
Coreopsis,  93 
Corn,  174 
Cornacece,  209,  222 
Cornels,  123 
Cornus  florida,  124,  209 
Cross-pollination,  62 
Crowfoot  Family,  208 
Cucumber,  174  ;  beetle,  186 
Cupulifera,  219 
Curly  Palm,   105 
Custard-Apple   Family,  221 
Cuttings,  multiplication  by,  153, 
154,  155  ,    . 

Cyclamens,  106 
Cydonia  japonica,  73,  74 
Cyperus  alternifolius,  106 
Cyrus  (Persian  King),  12 

Daphne  cneorum,  77,  78,  207 
Dayton,     Ohio,     National     Cash 

Register  Company,  16 
Department  of  Agriculture,   17 
Department  of  Education,  19 
Deciduous  hedges,  75 
Deciduous  shrubs,  72 
Delphinium,  93 
Diabrotica  vittata,  186 
Digitalis,  86,  93 
Dogwood  Family,  209,  222 
Doryphora  decem-lineata,  185 
Dracaena    godsefflana,    105 ;    in- 

dimsa,  105  ;  rubra,  105 
Dragon-Fly,  189 
Dwarf  Cocoanut,  105 
Dwarf  Swamp-Rose,  211 

Ebenacew,  222 

Ebony  Family,  222 

Educational  Alliance,  109 

Elm  Family,  219,  220 

Elceagnaccw,  207 

England,  14 

English    High    School,    Boston, 

22 

English  Ivy,   106 
Euvanessa  antiopa,  183 
Ericaceae,  215 


230 


INDEX 


Eschscholtsia,  93 

European  Elm-Leaf  Beetle,   180 

Evergreens,  74,  78 

Experiment  Garden,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  17 

Extension  Department  of  Cor- 
nell University,  23 

Factories,    attractive    surround- 
ings of,  47 
False  Indigo,  208 
Fall  Web-Worm,  183 
Ferns,  native,  227 
Fertilizers,  98,  168,  171 
Ficus  clastica,  105 
Fiery  Hunter,  188 
Flower-show,  63 
Flower-show  Prizes,  32 
Flowering  Raspberry,   211 
Flowering  Dogwood,  124,  209 
Flowering  Currant,  126 
Forsythia,  209 
Foxglove,  93 
Fountain  Plant,  105 
France,  school  system  of,  13 
Fragrant  Sumach,  212 
Freesias,  107 
Froebel,  13 

Gaillardia,  93 
Galcrncella  luteola,  180 
Garden,   directions   for  care  of, 

31 

Garden  Pests,  185 
Garden,  The  Formal,  82 
Garden  Tools,  203 
George   Putnam  School  Garden, 

Boston,  22 
Geraniums,,  108 
Germany,  15 
Germinating  Pan,  151 
Gingko,   143 

Gold-Dust  Dracaena,  105 
Golden  Chain,  208 
Good  Gardeners,  57 
Goodrich  House,  Cleveland,  25 
Grafting,   70 

Grafting  and  Budding,  157 
Grafting-wax,   158 
Great  Laurel,  216 


Greenhouse,  7 
Groton,  Mass.,  57,  100 


Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  42 
Hamamelidacea!,  209,   222 
Hard,  or  Sugar  Maple,  134 
Hardy  Phlox,  94 
Hartford,      Conn.,      School     of 

Horticulture,  16 
Hazel-Nut,  205 
Heath  Family,  215 
Hedges,    66,    72,    74,    75 
Heliotrope,  107 
Hemlock,  72 

Herbaceous  border,  69,  88 
Hibiscus  syrlacus,  73 
High-Bush   Cranberry,  217 
High-Bush  Huckleberry,  215 
Hobble-Bush,  217 
Holly  Family,  213 
Hollyhock,    93 
Home  and  Flowers,  47 
Home     Gardening     Association, 

Cleveland,    Ohio,   18,    24,   26, 

27,  31,  32 
Home     Gardening     Association 

leaflets,  30,  33 
Home       Garden,       Washington, 

D.   C.,   68 

Honeysuckle  Family,   216 
Horse-Chestnuts,  135 
Horticulture,    progress    of,    12 ; 

school  of,  16 
Humus,   162 

Hyannis  Normal  School,  16 
Hydrangea,  128,  213 
Hydrogen,  163 
Hypantria  cunea,  183 


llicinew,   213 

Illustrated  catalogues,  92 

Indian  School,  18 

Individual   Planting,  48 

Inkberry,  213 

Insects,  10,  193  ;  life  history  of, 

11 ;  ravages  of,   202 
Insect-pollinated  flowers,  62 
Italian   University,   12 


231 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 


Jamaica,   43 
Japanese  Rose,  212 
Japanese  Trailing  Rose,  212 
Japan  Quince,  73,  74 
Japanese  Snowball,  122 
Juglandaceoe,  220 
Junior  Horticultural  School, 
Junior  Naturalist  Clubs,  23 


41 


Kalmia,  76 

Kamehameha  School,   Honolulu, 

Hawaiian   Islands,  45 
Kamehameha    Girls'    School    In 

Honolulu,  44 
Kentia  belmorcana,  105 
Kcntia  fastcriana,  105 
Kinnikinnik  or   Silky   Dogwood, 

209 

Labrador  Tea,  216 

Lachnosterna  fusca,   188 

Lady-Bug,  187 

Landscape-gardening,    52,    66 

Larkspur,  93 

Lauracece,  207,  220 

Laurel  Family,  207,  220 

Laurel  Magnolia,  208 

Lawns,   8,   67 

Leatherwood,  207 

Leaves,    arrangement   and    form 

of,  In  reference  to  light,  97  ; 

for  purposes  of  support,   97  ; 

movement  of,  97 
Leguminosce,   126,  208,  221 
Lettuce,   173 
Libellula  basalts,  189 
Liyustrum  ovulifoUum,  72 
Lilies,  85 

Li  lies-of-the-  Valley,  106 
Linden   Family,   221 
Locust,  189 
Low  Birch,  206 
Lupins,  94 

MacTirocTiires,  193 
Madder  Family,  215 
Magnesium,  163 
Magnolia  Family,  208,  221 
Magnoliacece,  208 


Mahonia,  210 

Malvacece,  210 

Mallow  Family,  210 

Maples,  133,  134 

Maple  Family,  221 

Maple-Leaved   Viburnum,   217 

Marigolds,  93 

Massachusetts  Civic  League,  16, 
22 

Massachusetts  Horticultural  So- 
ciety, 16 

Meadow-Sweet,  210 

Meadow-Rose,  211 

Medicinal  Plants,  118 

Mezereum  Family,  207 

Mignonette,  94 

Missouri  Currant,  214 

Monarch  Butterfly,  190 

Moss-Locust,  208 

Mountain   Fetter-Bush,   215 

Mountain-Laurel,  215 

Muskmelons,  174 

Myricacece,  206 

Nasturtiums,  94 

National  Cash  Register  Com- 
pany, Dayton,  Ohio,  16 

Native  Shrubs,  120 

Native  Trees,  130 

Natural  Manures,  171 

Nephrolepis  exultata,  104 

New  York  City,  Barnard  Col- 
lege, 49 

Nicotiana,  94 

Ninebark,  211 

Nitrogen,  163,  169 

Normal  School,  Hyannis,  16 

Norway,    14 

Norway  Spruce,  72 

Nursery,  8 

Nymph  of  the  Forest,  141 

Nyssa  sylvatica,  141 

Oak,  137 
Oak  Family,  219 
Olcaccw,  208,  222 
Oleaster   Family,  207 
Olive  Family,   222 
Orgyia  Icucostigma,  181 
Osmosis,  166 


232 


INDEX 


Oxalis,  107 
Oxygen,  102 

Palmer,  Alice  Freeman,  4 

Pansies,  D4 

Paper,  or  Canoe  Birch,  138 

Papilio-polyxenes,  190 

Passcrcs,  193 

Pea  Family,  221 

Peanuts,    118 

Peas,   173 

Penstemon,  94 

Perennials,  69,  90,  91 

Pestalozzi,  13 

Phlcycthontiua  celcus,  185 

Phosphates,  170 

Phosphorus,   163 

Piazza,  suggestion  for,  89 

Pici,  193 

Pieris  rap<r,  186 

Pinaccce,  218 

Pine  Family,  218 

Plane-Tree  Family,   220 

Plant  food,  60 

Planting  in  Masses,  49 

Plants  desirable  for  an  her- 
baceous border,  92 

Plants,  habits  of  growth,  7  ;  life 
history,  11 

Poplars,  136 

Poppies,  95 

Porto  Rico,  43 

Potash,  163,   172 

Potatoes,  175 

Prairie-Rose,  211 

Primroses,  108 

Privet,  209 

Prizes,  The  Dellenbaugh,  30,  32 

Prune-Leaved  Spiraea,  211 

Pruning,  70 

Propagation,  8,  148,  153 

Public  Schools,   lectures  in,  29 

Pulse  Family,  208 

Pulvinaria  innumerabilis,  184 

Purple-Leaved    Barberry,    73 

Pyrus  floribunda,  142 


Radishes,  173 
Ranunculacece,  208 


Raptores,  193 

Red-Berried  Elder,  217 

Red  Birch,  139 

Redbud,  126 

Red  Chokeberry,  212 

Red-Osier  Dogwood,  209 

Red-Stemmed   Dogwood,   209 

Rex  begonias,  108 

Rhododendron,  6,  76 

Rhodora,  216 

Ribes  aureum,  126 

Ricinus,  95 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  18,  23 

Roof-Garden,  109 

Rosacece,  210,  221,  222 

floso  setiyera,  53,  79 

Rose-of-Sharon,  73 

Rosa  wichuraiana,  79 

Rose  Family,  210,  221,  222 

Round- Leaved  Dogwood,   209 

Rousseau,  12 

Roxbury,    Mass.,    exhibition    at, 

21 

Rubiacea,  215 
Running  Euonymus,  213 
Rural    districts,    greatest    need 

in,  50 

Rural  schools,  70 
Russia,  14 


Saddle-grafting,  159 

Salicacea,  206,  220 

Salpiglossis,  95 

Sal  via,  95 

Sal/mann,  12 

Sapindacece,  221 

Saw-Fly,  188 

Saxifragacece ,  213 

Saxifrage  Family,  213 

School  Gardens,  a  factor  In 
education,  1  ;  in  Europe,  2, 
12  ;  seek  to  help  two  classes 
of  children,  2  ;  planning  the 
work,  5  ;  in  America,  16 

School  Gardens  and  Geography, 
116 

School  Garden,  plan  of,  65 

School  Gardening,  problems  in, 
113 


233 


CHILDREN'S    GARDENS 


School  grounds,  8  ;  improvement 

of,  47 

School  of  Ethical  Culture,  109 
School    of    Horticulture,    Hart- 
ford, Conn.,  16 
Scion,  157 
Seed-boxes,  153 
Seed  distribution,  27 
Seeds,  selection  of,  149 
Self-activity,  outlet  for,  *41 
Seventeen- Year  Locust,  190 
Shadbush,  51,  212 
Shaw  Garden,  41 
Sheepberry,  217 
Sheep-Laurel,  215 
Shield-budding,  160 
Shrub  borders,  67,  80 
Shrubby  Cinquefoil,  211 
Shrubs,    57,    121 ;    pruning    of, 

145 ;     spring-flowering,     147  ; 

summer-flowering,     147 ;     for 

the  Arboretum,  205 
Silverberry,  207 
Slavic  Alliance,  Cleveland,  Ohio, 

27 

Smoke-Tree,  212 
Smooth  Alder,  206 
Smooth  Sumach,  212 
Smooth  Winterberry,  213 
Snapdragon,  92 
Sociological   Problems,  3 
Soil,  study  of,  10,  30,  161 
Spanish  Bayonet,  84 
Speckled  Alder,  206 
Speyer  School,   New  York  City, 

17,  109,  110 
Sphinx-Moth,  185 
Spicebush,  207 
Spiraeas,  127 
Spircea  prunifolia,  88 
Splice-grafting,  159 
Spurge-Laurel,  207 
Squash-Bug,  186 
Squashes,  174 
St.  Louis,  18 
Staff-Tree  Family,  21S 
Steeplebush,  210 
Storax  Family,  222 
Strawberry-Bush,  213 
Styracacea,  222 


Stock,  157 

Striped  Cucumber-Beetle,   186 

Styria,  15 

Succession  of  blooming,  82,  89 

Sugar  Maple,  134 

Sulfur,  162 

Sumach  Family,  212 

Swamp  Leucothoe,  216 

Sweden,  14 

Sweetbrier  Eglantine,  212 

Sweet-Fern,  206 

Sweet  Viburnum,  217 

Syringa,  Mock-Orange,  214 

Taxacece,  205,  218 

Teachers  College,  17,  109 

Tent-Caterpillar,  182 

Test  Garden,  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
26 

Thunberg's  Barberry,  210 

Thunberg's   Spiraea,  210 

Thymcleacece,  207 

Tillage,  German  method  of,  23, 
36 

TiliacecB,  221 

Tomatoes,  174 

Tools,  203 

Tree  Pests,  180 

Tree  of  Heaven,  136 

Trees,  most  desirable,  51 ;  selec- 
tion of,  132 

Tritoma,  95 

Tulip-Tree,  137 

Tupelo  or  Sour-Gum,  141 

Turnips,  174 

Tussock  Moth,  181 

Twentieth  Century  Club,  16,  22 

Umbrella  Plant,  106 
University  Settlement,  109 
Urticaceoe,  219,  220 

Vacations,  ruinous  effect  of,  112 
Van  Hout's  Spiraea,   211 
Vegetables,  choice  of,  99 
Vegetable  Garden,  98,  100,  117 
Viburnum  dilatatum,  9 
Viburnum  tomentosum  plicatum, 

122 
Viceroy  Butterfly,  191 


234 


INDEX 


Village     Improvement     Associa- 
tion, 18,  53,  56 
Vines,  quick-growing,  78 
Virginia  Creeper,  88 


Wahoo,  213 

Walnut  Family,  220 

Watermelons,  174 

Weeds,  149 

West  Indies,  19,  43 

Whip-grafting,  158,  159 

White  Pine,  143 

Withe-Rod,  217 

Wild  Black  Currant,  214 

Wild  Flowers,  96 

Wild  Garden,  Flowers  for,  223 

Wild  Honeysuckle,  216 

Wrild  Hydrangea,  213 

Wild  Rosemary,  215 

Willow  Family,  206,  220 


Window-Gardening,  19,  101, 
103  ;  plants  for,  104 

Window-Boxes,  25 ;  best  soil 
for,  101 ;  at  Goodrich  House, 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  25 

Wistaria,  79 

Witch-Hazel  Family,  209,  222 

Women's  Auxiliary  of  the  Amer- 
ican Park  and  Outdoor  Art 
Association,  16 

Women's  Clubs,  49 

Women's  Educational  and  In- 
dustrial Union,  18 

Yellowroot,   208 
Yellowwood,  132 
Yew  Family,  218 
Yucca  filamentosa,  84 


Zinnias,  95 


or  THE 
{  UNIVERSITY  ) 

°f    ifc. 


235 


TWENTIETH  CENTURY  TEXT-BOOKS  OF  BOTANY* 

By  JOHN  M.  COULTER,  A.M.,  Ph.U, 

Head  of  Department  of  Botany,  University  of  Chicago. 

Plant   Relations.        A  First  Book  of  Botany.        i2mo. 
Cloth,  $1.10. 

"Plant  Relations  "  is  the  first  part  of  the  botanical  section  of  Biology,  and,  as  its 
title  indicates,  treats  what  might  be  termed  the  human  interests  of  plant  life,  the  con- 
ditions under  which  plants  grow,  their  means  of  adaptation  to  environments,  how 
they  protect  themselves  from  enemies  of  various  kinds  in  their  struggle  for  existence, 
their  habits  individually  and  in  family  groups,  and  their  relations  to  other  forms  of 
life — all  of  which  constitute  the  economic  and  sociological  phases  of  plant  study. 

Plant  Structures.      A  Second  Book  of  Botany.      121110. 
Cloth,  $1.20. 

This  volume  treats  of  the  structural  and  morphological  features  of  plant  life  and 
plant  growth.  It  is  intended  to  follow  "  Plant  Relations,"  but  may  precede  this 
book,  and  either  may  be  used  independently  for  a  half-year's  work  in  botanical  study. 

Plant  Studies.     An  Elementary  Botany.     i2mo.     Cloth, 

$1.25. 

This  book  is  designed  for  those  schools  in  which  there  is  not  a  sufficient  allot- 
ment of  time  to  permit  the  development  of  plant  Ecology  and  Morphology  as  outlined 
in  "Plant  Relations"  and  "Plant  Structures,"  and  yet  which  are  desirous  of  im- 
parting instruction  from  both  points  of  view. 

Plants.     A  Text-Book  of  Botany.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $i. 80. 

Many  of  the  high  schools  as  well  as  the  smaller  colleges  and  seminaries  that 
devote  one  year  to  botanical  work  prefer  a  single  volume  covering  the  complete  course 
of  study.  For  their 'convenience,  therefore,  Plant  Relations,"  and  "Plant  Struc- 
tures "  have  been  bound  together  in  one  book,  under  the  title  of  "  Plants." 


Analytical  Keys  to  Flowering  Plants.     t2mo.   Limp  Cloth. 
Northern  States.'    By  PROFESSOR  COULTER.     250. 

Pacific  Slope.      By  PROF.  W.  L.  JEPSON,  University  of 
California.     450. 

Rocky  Mountain  Regions.     By  PROF.  AVEN  NELSON, 
University  of  Wyoming.     450. 

These  Keys  may  be  used  with  any  text-book  of  botany,  but  they  have  references 
to  the  text  of  Professor  Coulter's  books. 

A  Laboratory  Manual  of  Botany.     By  OTIS  W.  CALD- 
WELL,  Ph.D.,  State  Normal  School,  Charleston,  111.    500. 

D.     APPLETON     AND     COMPANY, 

NEW  YORK.      BOSTON.      CHICAGO.     LONDON. 


GEORGE  H.  ELLWANGER'S  BOOKS. 

The  Garden's  Story;    or,  Pleasures  and  Trials 
of  an  Amateur  Gardener. 

With  Head  and  Tail  Pieces  by  Rhead.  i6mo.  Cloth, 
$1.50. 

"A  dainty,  learned,  charming,  and  delightful  book." — New  York  Sun. 

"One  of  the  most  charming  books  of  the  season.  .  .  .  This  little  volume,  printed 
in  excellent  taste,  is  redolent  of  garden  fragrance  and  garden  wisdom.  .  .  .  It  is  in 
no  sense  a  text-book,  but  it  combines  a  vast  deal  of  information  with  a  great  deal 
of  out-of-door  observation,  and  exceedingly  pleasant  and  sympathetic  writing  about 
flowers  and  plants." — Christian  Union. 

"  This  dainty  nugget  of  horticultural  lore  treats  of  the  pleasures  and  trials  of  an 
amateur  gardener.  From  the  time  when  daffodils  begin  to  peer  and  the  'secret  of 
the  year'  comes  in  to  mid-October,  Mr.  Ellwanger  provides  an  outline  of  hardy 
flower-gardening  that  can  be  carried  on  and  worked  upon  by  amateurs.  .  .  .  Nor  is 
the  information  of  this  floral  calendar  confined  to  the  literary  or  theoretical  sides. 
'Plant  thickly;  it  is  easier  and  more  profitable  to  raise  flowers  than  weeds,'  is  a 
practical  direction  from  the  garden  syllabus." — Philadelphia  Public  Ledger. 

The  Story  of  My  House. 

With  an  Etched  Frontispiece  by  Sidney  L.  Smith,  and 
numerous  Head  and  Tail  Pieces  by  W.  C.  Greenough. 
i2mo.  Cloth,  $1.50. 

"When  the  really  perfect  book  of  its  class  comes  to  a  critic's  hands,  all  the  words 
he  has  used  to  describe  fairly  satisfactory  ones  are  inadequate  for  his  new  purpose, 
and  he  feels  inclined,  as  in  this  case,  to  stand  aside  and  let  the  book  speak  for  itself. 
In  its  own  way,  it  would  be  hardly  possible  for  this  daintily  printed  volume  to  do 
better." — A  rt  A  ntateur. 

"An  essay  on  the  building  of  a  house,  with  all  its  kaleidoscopic  possibilities  in 
the  way  of  reform,  and  its  tantalizing  successes  before  the  fact,  is  always  interest- 
ing;  and  the  author  is  not  niggardly  in  the  good  points  he  means  to  secure.  .  .  . 
The  book  aims  only  to  be  agreeable ;  its  literary  flavor  is  pervasive,  its  sentiment 
kept  well  in  hand." — New  York  Evening  Post. 

In  Gold  and  Silver. 

With  Illustrations  by  W.  Hamilton  Gibson,  A.  B.  Wen- 
zell,  and  W.  C.  Greenough.  i2mo.  Cloth,  $2.00.  Edi- 
tion de  Luxe,  on  Japanese  vellum,  $5.00. 

"One  of  the  handsomest  gift-books  of  the  year. "— Philadelphia  Inquirer. 
"After  spending  a  half-hour  with  '  In  Gold  and  Silver,'  one  recalls  the  old  say- 


ing, 'Precious  things  come  in  small  parcels.'  " — Christian  Intelligencer. 

"The  whole  book  is  eminently  interesting,  and  emphatically  deserv 
very  handsome  and  artistic  setting  it  has  received." — New  York  Tribune. 


D.    APPLETON     AND    COMPANY,     NEW     YORK. 


BOTANY* 


Morphology  of  Gymnosperms. 

By  JOHN  MERLE  COULTER,  Ph.D.,  Head  of 
Department  of  Botany, The  University  of  Chicago, 
and  CHARLES  JAMES  CHAMBERLAIN,  Instructor  in 
Botany,  The  University  of  Chicago.  Illustrated. 
8vo.  Cloth,  1 88  pages.  $1.75. 

The  Gymnosperms,  as  the  most  primitive  seed 
plant,  are  of  special  morphological  importance,  and 
are  very  inadequately  presented  in  current  general 
texts.  This  book  brings  together  and  organizes  the 
widely  scattered  results  of  investigation.  It  is  not 
a  compilation,  but  a  combination  of  published  results, 
supplemented  and  guided  by  several  years  of  original 
investigation.  The  authors  have  sought  to  disen- 
tangle and  simplify  a  confused  terminology  which 
has  heretofore  obscured  a  very  consistent  mor- 
phology. The  essential  morphology  of  the  great 
groups  is  considered  in  detail,  the  fossil  forms  are 
represented  in  the  light  of  recent  important  dis- 
coveries, the  comparative  morphology  of  the  group 
as  a  whole  is  discussed,  and  the  part  closes  with 
chapters  on  phylogeny  and  geographic  distribution. 
The  illustrations  are  numerous  and  the  majority  of 
them  are  original.  The  book  is  addressed  to  special 
students  of  morphology,  of  the  evolution  of  the  plant 
kingdom,  and  of  the  paleobotany. 

D.     APPLETON     AND      COMPANY, 

NEW  YORK.  BOSTON.  CHICAGO.  LONDON. 


BOTANY. 


Morphology  of  Angiosperms. 

By  JOHN  MERLE  COULTER,  Ph.D.,  Head  of 
Department  of  Botany,The  University  of  Chicago, 
and  Charles  James  Chamberlain,  Instructor  in 
Botany,  The  University  of  Chicago.  Illustrated. 
8vo.  Cloth.  348  pages.  $2.50. 

This  volume  has  grown  out  of  a  course  of  lectures 
accompanied  by  laboratory  work,  given  for  several 
successive  years  to  classes  of  graduate  students  pre- 
paring for  research.  It  seeks  to  organize  the  scattered 
amount  of  material  so  that  it  may  be  available  in 
compact  and  related  form.  While  careful  attention 
has  been  given  to  citations,  so  that  the  student  may 
know  the  groups  that  have  been  investigated  and  be 
put  in  touch  with  the  original  papers,  the  work  is  in 
no  sense  a  compilation.  The  ground  has  been  trav- 
ersed repeatedly,  for  several  years,  by  various 
members  of  the  botanical  staff  and  by  numerous 
students,  and  their  results  have  served  to  check  cur- 
rent statements,  as  well  as  to  contribute  no  small 
amount  of  new  material. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  present  the  details 
of  floral  structure,  so  fully  described  by  the  earlier 
morphologists  and  taxonomists,  since  they  are  easily 
accessible  in  numerous  texts.  It  has  rather  been  the 
intention  to  present  the  general  ideas  involved  in  the 
alliances  of  first  rank,  so  that  principles  rather  than 
details  may  be  prominent. 

D.  APPLETON    AND    COMPANY, 

NEW  YORK.  BOSTON.  CHICAGO.  LONDON. 

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